


Purified: Lost Light

by cmar8787



Series: Purified Series [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl & Platinum | Pokemon Diamond Pearl Platinum Versions
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Magic, Gen, Kissaki City | Snowpoint City (Pokemon), Legendary Pokemon, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Shinou-chihou | Sinnoh Region (Pokemon)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:13:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 155,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25285921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cmar8787/pseuds/cmar8787
Summary: 35 years ago, the Time-Space Convergence at Mt. Coronet nearly destroyed the world, and Sinnoh is now split into four regions after a bloody war of attrition following Team Galactic's and Cyrus' disappearance. Giratina, trying to take care of threats before they occur, unknowingly sets in motion events leading to the very thing Cyrus sought; a universe without strife.
Series: Purified Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1906414





	1. Greetings

**Greetings**

Hello world.

If you're here, you, like me, enjoy the Pokemon universe and reading about it in different detail. A few warnings before the content comes.

1: The majority of the entire cast will be OC, or, Original Characters. This is not to say that there will not be cameos or even significant parts that deal with characters from the Pokemon universe, but do not expect the titular character to be Ash, for example.

2: Every story that follows this timeline will contain coarse language, violence, sexual innuendos, situations, and other things that may not be commonplace in a Pokemon story. Reader discretion is advised, though there will be nothing on the level of, say, extreme, visceral gore or madness.

3: There will be many, many references to other material throughout the stories. As I have said in my bio, if you think it's a reference…it's probably a reference. Some won't be so thinly veiled, others will require a degree of nerdiness to understand. Hopefully I encompass both of those spheres well.

4: While it does take place in the Pokemon universe mainly, there will be heavy references to other material as part of the world. This includes magic, technologies, language, etc. While on the subject, if there is any subject matter you'd like to see incorporated into the story, please leave a review or a PM and know there is always the possibility, no matter how out there it might seem.

Lastly, I'd ask that even if you enjoyed or hated a chapter that you leave a review. I'm always open to criticism, and suggestions for future material wouldn't be so bad either. At the end of each chapter, I'll try to address some of the most pressing reviews in the review section, but don't worry if your review isn't featured. I read them all guys. Promise.

Alright, now that we have that out of the way, let's hop right into it, shall we. Have a nice read, everyone. Book One starts the moment you click Next Chapter.


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

35 years have passed since that fateful day upon Mount Coronet. The general public knows the simple facts: Team Galactic and their leader, Cyrus, tried and failed at world domination. As was the norm for most of these cults, they were pummeled into the ground by a few 10-year olds, and that was the last of it.

Or so they thought.

Cyrus, the leader of the entire sect, was not a man who sought to rule the world…he sought to end it. Man, he believed, was not meant to walk on the ground that Arceus had blessed upon them. They were a bloody, savage race, who enjoyed pitting the poor, defenseless Pokemon of the world against each other in horrendous battles, who saw them as objects of money and power rather than true friends. They were a race that would not hesitate to step off of the shoulders of others to get ahead in the world, a race willing to kill each other, drive communities to extinction for their own deeds. Such a world could not be allowed to exist, and to let it continue when one had the power to change it, to fix it…it would be inexcusable. He…needed to fix it. Man was to be erased, everything was to be erased. There would be no more torment, no more pain inflicted on others from the violent whims of mankind. And when it was done, when Arceus saw his work, it would realize that Cyrus was right, that he had done the right thing. It would reshape the world…no, the universe. Everything would be exactly as it should, with Man no longer in the equation any longer. There would be no sadness because there would be no happiness, no more pain because there would be no more joy. They would be released from the chains of their instincts, no longer slaves to the violent urges that compelled them forward.

And then at the moment of his triumph…he failed.

There are conflicting reports of whether Lucas or Dawn stopped the madman. Regardless, when Giratina was finally summoned from its dark, decrepit lair at Mt. Coronet's peak, four people went in…and only three came back. Whether or not Cyrus simply collapsed in despair and refused to return to land of the living, if Cynthia and the Elite Four of Sinnoh threw him in a dark cell to rot for all eternity, or even worse, if Giratina refused to let him leave…no one knew but Lucas, Dawn, and Cynthia. But to calm the public, it was decided that the best possible answer was that Cyrus had wandered off into the unknown, never to return to Earth again.

Most people forgot him in time, but there were some that never did.

Twenty years passed; Lucas was eventually crowned Champion much to the glee of the public, but offered the position of Residing Champion to Cynthia after the great Professor Rowan passed peacefully in his sleep after years of serving the community with his knowledge of Pokemon. Lucas took the position as Head Sinnoh Professor in memoriam, and shortly after that, married Dawn in a public ceremony. The region returned to peace, and the name Team Galactic began to fade from even the sharpest of memories.

Five years later, Sinnoh seemed to boil from the inside and churned with the dark foreboding that only war could bring. A new uprising of Team Galactic spearheaded an approach on all of the major civilizations in the region, determined to not let the public forget its name and to finish what Cyrus had started. Instead of taking the approach of subtlety, the new Team Galactic vowed to instead take Sinnoh by force. Just as there were many who forgot about Cyrus, there were also many who forgot of the times before Pokemon and Man peacefully resided with each other, when Man had to resort to other methods of defending themselves; magic.

It was the basis of all Pokemon battling, woven into the very core of Earth. Whether Arceus had blessed mankind with the ability to perform magic or if they had stumbled upon it by accident, it mattered not to the now-violent Team Galactic. Magical abuse became a hot topic for the first time in a century, and for the first time since Cyrus was alive, Sinnoh was under siege. The new communities that seemed to thrive and prosper were nearly destroyed, countless innocents churned into paste under the feet of Team Galactic, and nearly twenty-thousand fighting men, women, and Pokemon killed in the first year of conflict…things looked bleak. Thanks to the reluctantly accepted use of magic from the defending side, however, Team Galactic was pushed back and eventually destroyed in its entirety thanks to the region's combined efforts after three more years of a slow war of attrition. But after seeing the devastating effects magic had brought to the land of Sinnoh, there was an almost mutual agreement between the Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and the Sinnoh Government; magic was not to be trusted in the hands of humans.

Those who had previously demonstrated magical ability before the war between Team Galactic were treated as outcasts of sorts, never thrown from their homes, but always the last in line, always stared at and frowned upon by those who had once called them friends and allies. The magical community wanted no conflict, and yet another agreement was called to order in the winter of 2214. Snowpoint City, the farthest away from the mainland and hub of Sinnoh, was a designated haven of all things magical. Wizards and witches of all kind would be welcomed everywhere in the region, but the only place for magical institution would have to be localized there. As the magical community expected, an anti-magic state developed outside of Snowpoint's borders, and though tensions were strained, peace returned once again with an underlying layer of hate mixed in.

As the humans of Sinnoh recovered from the events of two wars, there was always one who never forgot, one that would never make the mistake of not appearing sooner ever again.

Giratina.

It was better to act first and ask later, it decided. It was better to kill for the possible good of the Multiverse than to wait until the last possible moment to act. So for thirty-five years, Giratina roamed the infinitely-vast Distortion World, seeking any object or person that it believed posed a danger to both its world and the real worlds. For thirty-five years, Giratina searched for the next threat to neutralize.

And seven years later, seven years after the war between Team Galactic and the rest of humanity…

It found one.


	3. Chapter 1: Attrition

**Chapter I: Attrition**

The year was 2220. Thirty-five years before, Cyrus had been defeated at the peak of Mt. Coronet. Here and now in the present, where the line between good and bad was frequently grayed-out and stomped all over, many Sinnohians found themselves longing for a simpler time, for a time where things weren't so tense, for a world not teetering on the edge of yet another war.

One of those people was Tabitha of Snowpoint.

The people who knew her would probably say she looked like her mother, likely because she did. She'd seen the pictures of her mother when she had been twenty-four. They'd looked almost exactly alike; long, chocolate-brown hair, curious green eyes, a dash of freckles across the bridges of their noses. The only thing she'd inherited from her father was her near-sightedness which sometimes called for her glasses, and the fact that she was taller than 5'4''. Her mother had been on the shorter side, but her father had towered over her in comparison. Nevertheless, they'd loved each other and they'd loved her.

That all felt like so long ago now.

"Nape. Infernape!"

Tabitha, or Tabby, as her friends called her, blinked. "What? Oh. Right. Sorry, buddy. I was just thinking."

She ran a hand down her partner's furred back and he closed his eyes, enjoying the petting before once again exclaiming his name. Blitz the Infernape had been with Tabby since she'd been a child, one of her closest and now only friends. They'd been through thick and thin, through elementary and high school, and he was the one man in the world she'd trust with her life.

Though if she didn't stop daydreaming, it was likely her life would be measured in less than a few more minutes. The snow drifts of Route 217 weren't places to be taken lightly.

"Alright, alright, I hear you," Tabby said, trying to quell Blitz' barking. "C'mon, let's go. Not a lot to be seen out here anyways."

Layered in a lovely wool coat and thick gloves to block out the northern chill, Tabby took one last look at vast expanse around her, shrugged, and began to slog through the snow once more. The waterproof enchantments on her boots stopped the snow from soaking to her socks, and the faint wind that whipped up failed to even make her body underneath the coat tingle as she trudged forward. The sun glared down on the two of them from overhead, protruding fully thanks to the lack of cloud cover, its rays shining n the white surface of the snow and making it a little hard to see with her eyes. Nothing would fool Blitz, though. His nose and ears were sharper than hers, and his eyesight, like all Pokemon, was better than hers naturally. His head was on a swivel for threats, even as he scratched at his own armpit.

Tabby smiled as she watched, but immediately stopped as she began to brood. Part of her wanted to run away, to go the opposite direction and never return to Snowpoint again. The other part of her that was actually thinking straight scorned her and rebuked her…but there was a small part of it that agreed with the decision as well.

There were no trainers on Route 217. There hadn't been for…two years now? Something like that. Pokemon didn't greet travelers because there were no travelers, and even if there were, they were probably too scared to approach. The quiet that usually came with snow wasn't that of peace, but of nervousness, of an entire land holding its breath. That was the norm nowadays in Snowpoint…ever since the Southern Siege had began.

A pack of Snorunt munched away at a rather large snow drift as Tabby and Blitz walked past. They stopped only for a moment to consider her, and then went back to eating once they familiarized themselves with her scent. Yes, she'd seen them before. Snorunt were about the only things one could see without going off the path and into the woods, as they only cared about what snow was available to eat. They trusted her enough not to attack even when Blitz was out and about, but she still saw the Ice Beams that glittered behind their teeth whenever she got a little too close for comfort. She gave them a smile and a nod and kept moving.

They walked for hours upon end. Blitz could've cared less, and Tabby had roamed the icy plains outside of Snowpoint for years now. Her legs could take the constant journey to the outlying parts of Route 217 she made every other week. They passed under the shade of gargantuan oak trees that towered above them and let drift snow to the ground to add to the drifts, watched more packs of Snorunt shamble around in the snow, and watched the rare Glalie zip between the trees and into darker corners of the noonday. The bright, vibrant colors of the landscape—the greenery of the trees and the cerulean of the clear sky above—they seemed to mock what was in store for both Tabby and Blitz when they returned home.

Again, part of her yearned to turn around and run until she couldn't anymore, but that was foolish and selfish. She'd promised them to see it through to the end…and if she was right, the end was near.

When the noon was beginning to turn into evening and the sun was beginning to sink behind the tops of the snowy forest trees, Tabby and Blitz arrived at the border of South Snowpoint City. After the war, people had thought to strengthen the defenses of the larger cities and settlements with gated communites, walled off from the average visitor. This was especially true of Snowpoint, which could only be reliably accessed from the south. One was welcome to try from the mountains to the north, but would almost certainly die in the process. The entirety of Snowpoint was nestled on all side by either thick forest trails or rocky mountains, making it the perfect place for a society of shunned witches and wizards to coalesce and live until the end of their days. The wall facing south was roughly twenty feet tall, and manned by a few grizzled guards who gave everyone and everything the stink-eye, usually just for existing. Luckily though, one of them was familiar with Tabby, so getting in the city would only take five minutes and not five hours.

"Jonas!" Tabby called up the wall. "Hey, Jonas!"

The man sitting with a bored expression turned his head towards her. He was wearing a thick hat with ears that drooped over his own to protect them from the cold, his black beard unshaven and his eyes bloodshot, likely from a night of drinking. "Well, by Arceus. Back again from ol' 217, huh? Figured you'd've died by now."

"You're not that lucky Jonas," Tabby said back, crossing her arms. "Can you please just let me in? It's been a long day and I just want to go to sleep."

Jonas picked at his teeth with a toothpick. "Suppose I could. But you've been told about leaving before, as well as the curfew. You're supposed to be inside the walls before the orange starts coming in over the sky, otherwise you're sleeping in a drift all night."

Tabby sighed. "Jonas, you know it's me. You saw me leave this morning when I told you I was going a bit further than I usually go down 217."

"Yes indeed I did," Jonas retorted. "But you witches and your magic…why, you can look like anything you want, right? How do I know you're not some renegade from the hills that killed the Tabby I know?"

"Because the Tabby you know is well aware of the alcohol you're keeping under wraps from that wife of yours," Tabby said, crossing her arms. "And if she isn't inside the walls in the next minute, she might have to tell her when she gets back inside…"

A few of the men around Jonas laughed and snickered at his embarassment, his face turning redder than it would from the cold. "Fine, fine! It's you, whatever! Open the gate!" He turned back to her. "You'd best watch your mouth, witch. Just because I give you a few special privileges doesn't mean you can talk to me or anyone else on the guard like that, understand?"

Tabby bit back a sigh. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir."

Jonas' nostrils flared as he straightened up a little at the boot-licking. "Good. Get inside before my good mood goes to waste."

The giant wood and stone gate in front of her opened, and a millisecond before that, Tabby felt the magical barriers on the gate go dim for a moment. Shocking. The men who had commandeered Snowpoint hated magic, but wouldn't say no to being protected by it.

"Fernape," Blitz muttered, shaking his head and tugging on Tabby's sleeve. Her darker mood must have shown on her face.

"Yeah, you're right," Tabby said. "No need worrying about them. Let's go home."

They passed between the gates ignoring the stares of the men behind them and stepped onto the cobblestone road leading into the heart of Snowpoint. To her left and right were the guardhouses and the gatehouses, the garages for their special speeder bikes that could race over land faster than the most agile of Garchomp, and next to it, a bus post for, well, the bus. Unfortunately, she and Blitz had arrived back home a few minutes too late and the bus had already made a rotation through the station. She sat down to wait on a bench while Blitz sat next to her and kept her warm with the crackling flame on his head. Briefly, she considered asking one of the guards for a ride on their bikes, but that would mean asking them for favors, and she knew all too well what that would entail. Most of the men on the wall were single and lonely, as were most of the "militia" that patrolled Snowpoint. The vast majority of Snowpoint's population were able to do magic, and as both the non-magicians and magicians hated each other, there was almost no dating in between the two groups. The only reason Jonas was so "friendly" towards her was probably in the hopes that she'd crack one day and share a bed with him.

She'd get into a fistfight with a Machamp before that would happen.

"Blitz, you don't think they'll be mad at us, do you?" Tabby asked, looking at her partner. "This is the fifth time we've gone that far south and seen absolutely nothing. I…I'm starting to think we're all alone up here."

"Nape, nape. Infernape!" Blitz protested, shaking his head vigorously. He got on all fours in the snow and rapidly hopped up and down, hooting all the while.

"I know we can't give up, buddy, but…" She sighed. "It feels so hopeless. They're not coming."Blitz' nostrils flared and he picked up a snowball. Tabby flinched as it made contact with her face, snow spraying everywhere. "Blitz, what the hell, man!"

"Infernape!" He mimed two hands talking, one bigger than the other, and the other one nodding.

"Wh-oh," Tabby said. She wiped the last of the snow off her face and smiled faintly. "A promise. Right." She had made the Infernape promise to punish her if she started talking negatively again, and he'd kept to his word. "Thanks, buddy. I think I needed that."

Blitz nodded and leapt back on the bench to keep her company again for a few more minutes. At last, the roar of a bus engine broke the silence in which they sat and they climbed aboard. The ride back into Snowpoint was a little long, and the journey down 217 had taken a lot out of Tabby that day. She fell asleep looking out the window and only awoke when Blitz was shaking her shoulder gently. Stretching, she wiped the faint line of drool from the corner of her mouth and headed towards the front of the bus to get off.

"Hey, Tabby," the bus driver said. His name was Adam, a middle-aged brown-haired man with a wife and two adorable little boys. "Don't suppose you, ah, saw any friends out on the trail today?" His blue eyes sparkled with curiosity and even hope for a moment, causing her stomach to twist into knots.

"No, I didn't," Tabby said, and she watched that hope fade from his eyes. "I'm sorry, Adam."

He sighed. "It's alright. It's a good thing you're doing, y'know. One day you're gonna go out there and they'll be waiting, just you watch."

Tabby faked a smile. "I hope so. Be seeing you Adam."

She hopped off the bus and shoved her hands into her coat pockets in shame as she walked down the street. As usual, its residents weren't hampered by the cold of the approaching night but bustled down the streets with their children, with their loved ones, or by themselves. Some were going to the Pokemon Academy, some were going to the Day Care to pick up their Pokemon, others were heading to some of the local community meetings, and others were enjoying the peace of the evening before nighttime curfew was enforced. Here and there, Tabby saw some of the militia patrolling with their Arcanine, and even a few out-of-place people that walked like a puppet would. Ditto, disguised as regular humans and used as spyglasses of sorts for the militia. She'd been taught early on to watch what she said and who she said it to, as there was never any good way to discern Ditto from human unless one was able to look directly into their eyes.

Tabby kept her head down as a bit more wind picked up and started whipping snow around her eyes, jogging through the crowd of people towards a large brown brick apartment building that stood tall with age. There were streams of people entering the double doors, stopped by two men with long rods of wood and two Decidueye who stood motionless at their sides. When it was finally Tabby's turn to enter, the two men stopped her.

"Sorry, Tabby. Have to check." The man motioned to his partner, and they pointed at her with their magic wands. The wands were focusing rods of sorts, allowing humans far more magical prowess than they'd be able to use otherwise.

"It's alright," Tabby said, standing motionless. "At least you guys aren't like those creeps up by the gate. What's new?"

The two Revealing Spells washed over her and faded away. "Not much," one of them replied. "Nerevor is waiting for you inside. Said he wanted to hear your report first." He looked back to his Decidueye. "She's clear?"

The Decidueye's head raised slightly and she saw the its eyes flash beneath its feathered cowl. "Cidueye," it said as it used Foresight over her and Blitz. Many times Ditto tried to sneak in to attend the community meetings, and often were met with a beating to send them packing. At last, Foresight ended and the Decidueye fell silent, the two guards waving her through.

On the inside of the building was a warm interior lit by floating braziers of fire and sparkling lights. Staircases to her left and right wound up the sides of the building and to the higher floors, higher than the actual building outside should have allowed. It was the product of powerful magic, the interior extended to a far greater size than what should have been possible on the inside. Children ran wild in what many called The Sanctuary, losing magical from the tips of their fingers and howling with glee as their caretakers ran after them in the crowd. Abra and Kadabra teleported back and forth throughout the Sanctuary handing out letters and magical supplies to the constant stream of traffic going from station to station. Tabby walked up the right staircase squished against the wall as a stream of young magically-talented Pokemon trainers and their Pokemon walked opposite her and to the back courtyard, where they would practice ice magic as the temperature began to drop. Blitz hissed at Sneasel that unsheathed its claws as it walked past, and Tabby forced him up the stairs.

"Remember how you told me to stay out of trouble?" Tabby asked, pushing him again up the stairs. "Same goes for you. No fighting."

Blitz scowled but relented as they reached the second floor. The bottom floor was rather large, but it was really only for coming and going, or for lessons. The second floor held most of the quarters for graduated magical students with nowhere to stay, or for people like her helping out every day. She unlocked her own door with a wave of her hand and sat down hard on her bed. Her quarters were nothing special; a bed, a microwave, a sink, and a bathroom, plus a table and a chair near a window that overlooked the courtyard. Nothing special and nothing expensive. Regardless, it was better than sleeping in a tent in the plains, something Tabby had done far too often. She kicked off her boots and let her toes free with a long groan of pleasure, wriggling them as she fell backwards and stared up at the bland ceiling.

"I think I'm just going to go to sleep and never wake up," Tabby said. "Or at least, I would, if you'd let me." She turned her head towards Blitz, who'd laid down next to her and was peering at her with those brilliant blue eyes of his. "Isn't that right?"

"Infernape," Blitz said with a nod.

Tabby sighed but smiled. "Thanks for keeping me going, big guy." She kissed the Infernape's forehead and stood up, peering her head outside of her room. An Abra floated down the hallway, munching on an Oran Berry a grateful patron had given him, and it floated towards her as she waved her hand.

"Hi there," Tabby said, scratching it under the chin. "I know you're enjoying your snack, but could you deliver a message for me? Find Nerevor and tell him that I'm in my room, alright?" The Abra cooed at her scratching and nodded, disappearing with a small pop. After that, Tabby sat down and idly pet Blitz as the daylight began to turn to moonlight outside. She was just the right amount of tired to not be hungry yet, even though Blitz got up after a minute and began wolfing down some food. After a little while, there was a knock at her door, and an aging man entered. He had white, neatly combed hair and a well-kept beard that seemed to suit him. Age hadn't been kind in sparing him of wrinkles and gnarled hands, but his brilliant blue eyes were still very lucid, and he carried himself with a posture most people at 130 years old couldn't hope to match.

"Nerevor," Tabby said, standing up and giving him a hug. "I…"

"It's alright," Nerevor said, holding up a hand before she could start. "I know. You didn't see anyone, did you?"

Tabby scowled and turned away as Nerevor shut the door. "I don't get it! We sent for help two months ago! Cynthia is only…what, 55? 56? She's not so old that she'd be throwing away the 'By-Arceus-please-help-us'-mail along with the spam, would she?"

"You know as well as I do that it's possible that mail may not have even reached her mailbox, dear," Nerevor said, still collected.

"Yeah, I do," Tabby admitted. "And that's what worries me."

It had been one year since the militia had rolled full-force into Snowpoint. Anti-magic sentiments had been at an all-time high in the region, and there had been so much pressure on more restrictive laws on magicians in general that the Snowpoint Gym had been shut down and Candice moved to the new city of Snowpeak slightly south of Snowpoint. With those sentiments running out of control despite Sinnoh's best intentions…things began to get ugly. Relations at the border of Snowpoint and some of the smaller towns and cities began to fray apart even more than before, and a few skirmishes had broken out. The magicians had attempted to defend themselves which resulted in sensationalist headlines alongside outrage from the public, and soon, Snowpoint was facing it's biggest enemy; itself. Home to nearly a million people, there was a minor but powerful band of people that had ties to the political side of Snowpoint that had taken personal offense to being associated with "magical savages". In order to quell the hostile sentiments coming from Snowpeak and generally the rest of the world, the vocal minority imposed different quality-of-life charges on all magic users, making life insanely difficult on those who had done no wrong.

Things had only gotten serious when, after a friendly Pokemon battle, a man had furiously declared that his opponent had used magic to cheat his way to victory and ordered his own Pokemon to attack not the opponent's Pokemon, but the opponent himself.

The man was killed, and his attacker was given a lenient sentence of fifteen years in prison.

Immediately after that, Tabby, Nerevor and some of the senior graduates from the Sanctuary had composed a letter requesting immediate aid from the Sinnoh Government or even Cynthia herself, who was known to be pro-magic thanks to her long reign as Champion. They'd sent the letter with the intent of Cynthia sending them aid all the way from the Elite 4. They expected the journey to take a month at best to mobilize.

The letter had been sent six months ago.

"If the letter has been intercepted then it is only right to try again," Nerevor said. He was the wise old man of the Sanctuary, accomplished with magic and with Pokemon. His wisdom had carried him all the way to the Elite 4 in the prime of his youth, but he'd been defeated by the Champion during his time. "We will talk about this tomorrow during the briefing meeting."

Tabby sighed again. "I just feel so…so helpless!" She turned to face Nerevor. "Why won't you let—"

"Stop, stop right now," Nerevor said, slightly raising his voice. "I know what you are going to ask, and you know the answer."

"If you would allow me to leave on my own, I know I could make it before the League. Hell, maybe I'd get an audience with people who can help us!"

"I will not lose you," Nerevor said, shaking his head. "I have lost too many of my own students…my greatest prides…I have lost too many to the prejudices that drive the kinds of people who have claimed our city."

Tabby looked away, stung by his words. "Like Mom. And Dad."

"Indeed," Nerevor said solemnly. He left the subject alone though. That was one subject he knew she would never talk about. "If we are going to win this conflict and regain control of our lives, we must play it smart. Rushing into things haphazardly is a good way to get us killed." He scowled beneath his beard. "Though I suppose we should be lucky we are not living in the streets."

"It's only because there are more of us than them," Tabby said. "If there were more non-magical humans than us…" She shuddered at the thought. "Nerevor, what are we going to do?"

Her mentor was silent for a long time, and like the last two months, seemed to be fresh out of answers. "I don't know," he admitted at last, "but we will think of something. Get some rest, child. I have a feeling you will need it for tomorrow."

Nerevor patted her on the shoulder and left the room as Tabby crossed her arms, sitting down on her bed again. Infernape cocked his head at her with food on his face. "Nape?"

"No, buddy, I'm not hungry." She sighed. "I'm just…tired." She laid back on her bed and stretched her right arm up to the ceiling, opening her hand fully. "Arceus…if you don't hate me, or the other wizards and witches that live on your planet…"

"Just give me…give me something to work with."


	4. Chapter 2: Mirrored Images

**Chapter 2: Mirrored Images**

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Choked-off screams. Shredding metal. Heat almost greater than he could stand. The feeling of his skin being peeled from his bones.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

TERRAIN. TERRAIN. PULL UP! PULL UP!

"BOSS!"

He grit his teeth. Clenched the stick like it was a dying thing.

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP!

"PULL!"

The controls relented and for a moment, his vision cleared. The windshield was free of debris, and he saw…snowy plains. Forested hills. Vast swaths of a landscape that was so white it hurt to look at.

Then the trees rushed up to meet him, and the collision shook him to his bones.

The tree in front of them splintered and shattered from the force of their impact and they shredded wood as easily as a machine shreds paper. The windshield went dark again with debris and dirt, a torrent of falling fuselage raining down on the body of their vehicle. The computer below the dash showed a quick scan of their surroundings, updating every second, and there was one cliff-sized problem seemingly headed straight for them. He yanked the controls with every bit of his strength, and their path was altered from a beeline towards a rocky cliffside to into yet another tree, this one much thicker than the last. With a terrible screech of destroyed metal, they were sent into a terrifying spin as they rapidly lost more and more altitude, the whine of the battered engines scaring away anything that would call the forest home.

The man had less than a second to leap over and grab the Absol in the passenger seat, shielding her with his own body before they hurtled into the ground at full speed and instantly lost consciousness.

**###**

Tabby awoke the next morning to much poking and grunting. She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light of day streaming in through the windows, Blitz frantically poking at her head.

"Blitz, stop," Tabby whined, flipping over and burying her head in a pillow. "I wanna go back to sleep."

"Nape! Infernape!"

"You know how to get food if you're hungry, buddy. Seriously, just five more minutes and—"

"Infernape!"

Annoyance and grogginess turned into anger, and those emotions turned into fire that shot from Tabby's ears. She whipped her head up from the pillow and stared the Flame Pokemon in the face. "WHAT?!"

Blitz merely cocked an eyebrow with a little too much sass than Tabby was comfortable with and pointed to the counter on the sink. On it sat a messenger Abra who was idly playing with its toes.

Tabby sighed and got out of bed, yawning. "Sorry, Blitz." She shambled over to the Abra and patted its head. "Do you have a message for me, little guy?"

The Abra's slit eyes looked into hers and seemed to burn into her mind. She heard Nerevor's voice; "Tabitha, when you wake up and receive this message, it is important that you come directly to my chambers at once. We have important matters to discuss." The message faded from her mind and the Abra blinked out of existence, likely running around delivering more messages.

"Fernape?" Blitz asked.

"Yeah," Tabby said, grabbing the oversized white shirt she'd slept in and pulling it over her body. "Time to get up for the day." She looked to her nightstand and saw the alarm clock.

11:30.

"Er…for the afternoon, I guess."

After life had been restarted with the bliss of a hot shower, Tabby dressed and started down the hall, her bag slung over her shoulder. Nerevor wouldn't leave her a message sounding so…frustrated. Whatever it was about, it had to be urgent.

In all the years she'd known the old coot, Nerevor hadn't changed one bit. He hated using magic to fight and preferred to live out his elderly days in solitude tending to his snow-garden and nursing his Pokemon, who were also getting rather up-there in age. His quarters were slightly bigger than the rest of the Sanctuary's, but then, it could've been bigger. He had no need for lavish items, instead surrounding himself with countless arcane scrolls and books, manuals and guides for the countless students and Pokemon he'd raised over the years, There were always a few specimens that he used in his alchemical experiments laying around in vases or pots; cultured Oran Berries that worked on humans as well as Pokemon, magically-enhanced Pecha Berries that could theoretically cure diseases as well as poison. Nerevor was undoubtedly a mad genius, and before all that, he was something like Tabby's grandfather.

If only the two of them were smart enough to figure a way out of the mess they were in.

"Ah, Tabby," Nerevor said, sitting next to one of his potted plants with an open book in his lap. "I trust sleep found you well."

"Slept like the dead," Tabby responded. "Your message sounded, uh, urgent. What's the matter?"

Nerevor sighed. "Sometime this morning, the gate guards sent for you specifically. Apparently someone or something caused quite the ruckus outside of the city walls. They wanted you to investigate."

"What?" Tabby asked. "But…they're the gate guards. As in…they guard the gate. From threats." She paused. "Why would they want me to go out there?"

"Besides them being spineless vermin?" Nerevor asked. "Think about it, my dear."

The answer came to her all too soon. "Mm. They want to get rid of me."

"If what landed outside the walls is a dangerous Pokemon, getting rid of you and it in one fell swoop would compliment them handsomely," Nerevor said. "You, myself, and a few others are the keys to the little resistance we've been building against our enemy, but you are the face of the common good. If you are gone, morale will shatter around here and out in the streets." He shook his head. "The risk is much too great."

"But they came looking for me," Tabby said, "so I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"I tried to reason with them when they came but they wouldn't take no for an answer, nor would they accept any of the numerous people who volunteered to take your place." Those old eyes gazed into hers. "The very least I can do is have Alakazam teleport you to the gate. I will see you off myself, and if you are not back before dark, I will come looking for you."

"Uh, no," Tabby said immediately. "If you and I both die, we're for sure boned."

"Well then, my dear, you'd be wise to come back alive then," Nerevor said, smiling at her. Tabby couldn't help but grin back as the old man stood. "Come, Kazam." She had barely noticed him, but Nerevor's Alakazam had been meditating silently in the corner. He unclasped his hands, mustache waving as he approached the three of them. "Tabby, if you would."

"Man, I hate this part," Tabby said, grabbing Nerevor's hand. Blitz grumbled sadly and grabbed Tabby's fingers as Kazam's eyes flashed a brilliant purple. One moment they were in his quarters, and the next, Tabby's entire body felt as though it were being undone, atomized as it was shifted from location to location. The feeling passed almost instantly, and before she knew it, she was outside the gate, staggering around on her feet. Blitz fell on his butt next to her, shaking his head back and forth.

"Nerevor!" Tabby heard as she helped the Infernape to his feet. She sighed before turning to the gate, Jonas and his lackeys standing tall on the ramparts. "We told you we only wanted the girl! No need for you to be so close to the gate. Back to the city with you!"

"I will leave when I am confident my pupil will not be harmed by foul savages before exiting the city boundaries," Nerevor said. Tabby snickered as Jonas and the others fumed with rage. Her teacher turned back to her, his calm mien never vanishing. "You remember what I have told you. Our hopes ride with you. You must come back to us…come back to me. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir," Tabby said, stepping forward into a hug.

Blitz hooted enviously.

"Ah, yes," Nerevor said as they stepped away. "You must keep her safe as well, Blitz. I am trusting you as much as I am trusting her."

The Infernape puffed out his chest and looked at Tabby as though she was supposed to do the same. She couldn't help but laugh, something that died as she looked at the gate. "Okay. Let's get this over with."

"Hurry it up, girl!" Jonas shouted. "You may think you have all the time in the day, but you're running on our time! If there's something out there, we need to know about it! So get—" His sentence was cut short by the men's shrieks of terror as Nerevor and Kazam teleported behind them.

"I would ask that you not speak to Tabitha in that tone, Jonas," Nerevor said. "It rather irritates me."

Jonas swallowed, taking several steps back into the crowd of the other terrified men. "O-open the gate!"

Grateful for the assistance, Tabby nodded to her mentor and walked out into the snowy landscape as the gate rumbled open.

**###**

Snow drifted in from above, settling on the unconscious man's neck. The cold water ran down his back as it melted, and slowly but surely, he swam back to consciousness.

He had just been in a terrible accident. Priorities. Basics. He knew his own name; Floyd. He knew he was…28. He remembered what he'd had for breakfast earlier in the morning, remembered how terrifying it had been to end up crashing…wherever this was, and remembered the actual crash. He remembered his life, with all of the positives and negatives it brought. Somehow, he'd come out without brain damage.

Second, surroundings. The interior of the car was breached above, a large gash tearing down the center. Snow leaked in from above, falling off the branches of large trees and landing in the center where he rested. It was biting cold even though the gash wasn't too big in width or length, and Floyd quickly realized that was because most of the windows were cracked or even broken. Another problem was the lac of space; the car was usually much bigger on the inside, but it was now limited to the size of a small sedan. The size enchantments must have failed…somehow. That hadn't happened since they'd had the flying car, and that had been nearly 12 years.

They…

Oh, God.

Floyd pushed off of the passenger seat and looked at the unconscious white bundle of fur beneath him. She would be around his waist when standing on all fours, her white coat nearly as white as the snow outside but her crescent horn as black as a midnight void. Her feline face was marked with a few cuts from the debris and the crashing around the cabin, but Floyd let out a sigh of relief as he watched the Absol's nose quiver with her breaths. She was alive.

"Ren," Floyd said, shaking her. "Ren, wake up." No response. Floyd grunted and looked around. Best way out wasn't through the top, not unless he wanted to slice up his ribcage. He managed to rotate in the seat and braced his feet against the door. He kicked with all of his strength once, twice, three times, and the mangled door went flying off the hinges. Another rush of cold air flooded the cabin, but Floyd grit his teeth and grabbed the outside edge of the car, pulling himself out onto snowy ground.

The first thing he noticed was the air. It was crisp, clean mountain air, pure and nearly untouched by things like pollution. The sky was buttless and a clear blue, and the snow was thick on the ground, coming nearly to his midshins.

The next thing he noticed was the wildlife.

He was pretty sure whatever was looking at him wasn't a seagull.

A squat red bird with white plumage around his face was staring at him with great interest. Another five were staring at him from a tree. Three short gray-purplish things with long claws and feathers on its head were crouched as though they were about to pounce. Giant bunches of fur that seemed to be living creatures had also shuffled forward, waiting motionless as Floyd looked around.

They were Pokemon, all of them. He'd never seen so many before, even in such a wild place. More seemed to pop up out of the snow or landed on branches, and Floyd suddenly had a bad feeling. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," he muttered. "You all wouldn't happen to know where California is, would you?"

The Pokemon simply stared harder, and he could almost see their confusion written on their faces.

"Damn," Floyd said. He turned around and picked up Ren's unconscious body out of the mangled car. "What about water? Anywhere I can get some water?"

"Deli!" one of the red birds squealed. It motioned with a stubby wing for Floyd to follow it, and they shifted through the tree line with a line of Pokemon following behind. Eventually they reached a small pond with frozen chunks of ice bobbing up and down on the surface, and a community of Pokemon had gathered around it and were drinking from it. There were more of the purple weasel things, a few giant bipedal bears and a few Pokemon that looked like…belly dancers?

Well, it wasn't the weirdest day he'd ever had.

Floyd knelt at the edge of the pond and lowered the Absol's head into the water. After a few moments under, she began to thrash in his arms, kicking wildly with her paws. He drew her back out of the water and was met with an angered chorus of coughing and sputtering. "What the fuck?!" Ren screeched. "I…oh. It's you." She took a deep breath. "You look like garbage."

Floyd leaned over the surface of the water and checked his face through all the ripples. His caramel brown skin was marked with cuts and bruises from being slammed around in the cabin of the car, and his short curly hair was still so ruffled it looked as though something had used it as a nest. His brown eyes were still wide, his pupils still dilated from the adrenaline rush. The armor he'd worn during the flight was damaged, but still functional; full-body combat armor the color of midnight, the indent of a circle surrounded by multiple sun rays radiating from the center of his chest.

"I've looked worse," Floyd said, touching his jaw. "How are you?"

"Sore," Ren said, shaking from head to paws as she plodded over to him and curled up in his arms. "Somehow not dead. So…I've been worse. How's the car?"

"Destroyed. We won't even be driving away from here…wherever that is." He let out a deep sigh. "Looks like there are a lot of Pokemon around here though."

Ren sniffed. "Air is super clear. Are we in the mountains?"

"No, but I have a feeling we're close." He stood up with a grunt, stretching his back. "Don't see this many Pokemon around urban areas."

"Ssssso, we're definitely not in America?"

"Something like that."

"Well, it's not so bad," Ren said, sniffing at the snow curiously. "Hey, we've got friends all over the world."

"Yes we do," Floyd agreed. "Let's hope Zinnia has some space on her dragon to pick us up on, yeah? I'm really not trying to fly us both across the Pacific." He looked around, the crowd of Pokemon still watching from the shadows of the trees. "How about you come with me? I don't like the way they're looking at us."

"Uh, hello? Pokemon, remember?" the lippy Absol said. "Watch and learn." She stepped forward and cleared her throat dramatically. "Ab ab absol ab. Absol ab ab absol sol."

Floyd could almost feel the Pokemon on the edge turn hostile. Their poses switched from defensive to offensive, and a few started growling.

"Ren."

"Yeah?"

"What did you just say?"

"Well, I told them we didn't mean them any harm…buuut I put a little bit of a Cantonian spin on it…so a few things might have gotten lost in translation."

One of the bigger weasel things stepped forward and unsheathed its claws.

"A few?"

"My PokeSpeak is a little rusty."

"I can tell. Time to run."

They took a few hesitant steps backward and then turned on a dime, sprinting out of the clearing. An angry mob of Pokemon followed close behind, some of them dropping to all fours and running quadruped. A few of them snapped at their heels and Ren yelped, forcing herself to go faster. They zigzagged through the trees, narrowly avoiding snow drifts and low hanging branches. A few Pokemon took to those very trees and tried to come at them from above, barely missing the edges of their heads.

"Night Slash!" Floyd shouted. The Absol leapt into the air and rotated, facing towards the Pokemon behind them. Her horn glowed with a furious purple and she unleashed the energy with a yell, a dark wave of sickly-looking energy slicing across their ranks. An explosion rocked the snowy forest, a plume of powdered snow going up and covering the field. Just as Floyd turned to praise his Absol for her quick thinking, another shadow crossed his vision. One of the belly-dancer things dropped from a branch and wasted no time rushing towards the two of them. Its foot found his stomach and jolted his insides even through the armor, Floyd letting out a wheeze of surprise as the breath exploded from his lungs. A roundhouse kick smashed into his ribcage and sent him sprawling across the snowy forest floor.

"Boss!" Ren screamed. Her expression of shock quickly turned to rage, and she leapt at the Pokemon with malice in her eyes. But the two of them were rather banged up from their crash, and the Pokemon effortlessly dodged and planted another kick in Ren's stomach. She cried out in pain and was silenced when one of the weasel-looking Pokemon blurred forward and slammed giant icicles into her side. Her body slammed into Floyd's, and Ren went limp, not rising again. Floyd tried to rise and immediately felt a bolt of pain scream up and down his body. That Pokemon had probably broken a rib or twelve.

"Ren," he groaned. "Get…up."

His head felt heavy and the taste of blood in his mouth became rather overpowering as his eyes shut, snow rushing to meet his head as it fell towards the ground. Floyd managed to roll over Ren and prepared for the worst as he heard the crunch of snowy footsteps rushing towards them.

The last thing he felt was an overwhelming warmth as he lost consciousness.

**###**

"Ah, Arceus Christ," Tabby said, hands in her pockets as she straightened up on a hill overlooking the forest. Something was clearly amiss down there; the forest was in uproar, swaths of Cryogonal had taken to the skies and drifted away in a panic, whole packs of Snorunt waddling out from the tree line with great haste, and even worse, the forest was alive with the sounds of chattering Pokemon. She heard tons of different species as they called out their names to their pack members and to other Pokemon, likely responding to…whatever was causing them to freak out. "What do you think of all that, Blitz?"

"Infernape!"

"Yeah, I'm not sure either," Tabby said. "I've never seen the forest like this. I'm gonna go ahead and bet meteorite or something like that." She pointed to the east, where the loudest of the commotion was. "See that butt? Looks a little too gray for my tastes. It might have been smoke, but it's dissipating now. And I doubt it was a Pokemon; no way Jonas and the others would have been able to see it unless it was like…I dunno, what's a big Pokemon that could fall from space?"

She glanced at her Infernape, who did its best to mimic what was probably a Deoxys, waving his arms and making stupid faces complete with odd noises.

Tabby laughed. "Yeah, I guess. In that case, stay behind me. I wouldn't want a Deoxys to fry your brains."

Another chittering pack of Snorunt ran past the two of them as they broke the tree line and headed into the woods. It was a slight downwards slope and the trees weren't horribly bunched together, so Tabby could still see the remnants of the smoke lingering in the air from what the Pokemon in the area were fleeing from. A few minutes of walking brought them upon a small crater where a few trees had been reduced to kindling, surrounding…a car?

Tabby's brow furrowed as she stepped into the crater. It was the mangled remnants of a car of some sort, completely black except for the multitude of skid marks where the paint had been scratched off. Glass and debris littered the ground around it, and for some reason, looking at it for too long made her head start to hurt, especially when she looked inside at the interior.

"Infernape!" Blitz called from the other side. Tabby walked to the other side of the destroyed car and saw Blitz on all fours, sniffing curiously at a large print on the ground. It almost looked like a body or something like that. Then there were footprints leading out of the crater, sinking deep into the snow.

"Looks like they were carrying something," Tabby said. "That or they're just really heavy." She watched her steamy breath dissipate in the air as she thought. "We'll follow the tracks but…I've never seen a car like this before." She glanced back at the wreck. Of all the technological advancements she'd heard about and seen on TV and the like, she'd never seen a car that looked so…heavy. It had to be chock full of dangerous, do-not-touch things hidden underneath the hood.

Besides all that though…how did it get here?

The sound of an explosion shook Tabby out of her thoughts. She and Blitz looked up and, in the same direction those tracks headed off to, a plume of snow and dust rippled up above the treetops.

"Oh, that ain't good," Tabby muttered. "Let's go, Blitz, full speed!"

"Nape!" He fell in line behind her and they set off at a rather fast run through the trees. As they followed the tracks, the forest became eerily silent except for her and Blitz' heavy breathing. They passed a pond where the tracks multiplied into two obvious ones and then a multitude of different Pokemon following behind. They dove out of the clearing and back into the trees, Tabby's heart racing and the blood roaring in her ears…

No wait. That wasn't blood. Those were…voices. Cries. Pokemon cries.

Tabby grit her teeth and pushed aside a few fallen branches, making way towards the scene of the commotion. A ton of Pokemon had gathered along the outer rim of another clearing, a varied assortment of Delibird, Sneasel, Weavile, and Meditite all watching and cheering as two Medicham hounded on what looked like a human and an Absol. There was a slight crimson tinge in some spots on the Absol's fur, likely its own or its trainer's, who looked to be unconscious but still had draped himself over the Absol's body to shield it.

"Everyone out of the pool!" Tabby snarled, Blitz hopping right next to her and kicking the flame on his head into overdrive. The Pokemon on the outer edge immediately fled (mostly the Delibirds) while some took a great many steps back in apprehension. The two Medicham, however, didn't seem too keen on the idea. "I said get back!" The Medicham both looked at each other, nodded, and then stepped forward in a fighting pose.

Well, at least they weren't kicking that poor guy's ribs in anymore. "Blitz, use Flare Blitz and turn them into firewood, alright?"

The Infernape turned around and flashed her a cocky smile as if to say, "Sure enough," and lurched forward with a wild screech, his body wreathed in orange-red flame. Tabby had the satisfaction of watching the Medichams' faces turn from arrogance to horror as a fire monkey hopped up on battle lust lunged at them. One of them leapt into the air, leaving his buddy to face Blitz' wrath. The Pokemon's mouth was opened comically as Blitz crashed into it with all the subtlety of a wrecking ball and sent the poor Medicham hurtling backwards. Its body crashed through three trees before its momentum settled and it went limp in a pile of melting snow. The second Medicham landed behind Blitz and shot forward, its foot raised high as it leapt towards him screaming its name. "MEDI…cham?"

Tabby had to stifle a laugh as Blitz caught the Medicham's foot and held it in midair. His bushy eyebrows raised in her direction and Tabby shrugged. "Kick his ass, Blitz."

With a hoot of wild battle fury, Blitz used the graciously extended leg of the Medicham to lift it up and slam it back and forth into the snowy ground over and over again. The Medicham squawked in surprise and pain as it was quite literally pounded into the dirt by the raging fire monkey. On the last slam, Blitz whipped the Medicham around using both of its legs and threw it into a tree just hard enough to cause a shower of snow to fall upon the two of them. Blitz' flame was burning so hot that the snow turned to water before it could even reach his shoulders, and then turned to steam as the Infernape reached the Medicham and just wailed on it with a barrage of Fire Punches. His fiery fists crossed the Medicham's face over and over again, almost faster than Tabby could keep track of, and it was only when Blitz was literally pulling the Medicham back in for more did Tabby step in. "Alright, alright. He's had enough."

The Infernape looked back at her still with a fist raised, somehow managing to look both terrifying and adorable as he gave her the big-blue-eyes to continue his rampage.

"No. He's only standing 'cause you're holding him. Drop."

Blitz pouted but let the Medicham go, loping over to Tabby's side. The Medicham slumped against the tree, already five levels into unconsciousness, and the rest of the Pokemon watching took a hint. They cleared out in seconds flat, not wanting to meet the same fate on the business end of Blitz' knuckles.

"Nice work, buddy," Tabby said, clapping her Infernape on the shoulder. "That's them out of the picture." They both turned to look at the unconscious man in the snow. "Unfortunately…we're not out of the woods yet." She frowned. "Literally."

They crossed over to him and turned him on his side. He was relatively young, maybe in his late twenties, with skin the color of rich caramel. His face was marked with cuts and a few bruises, probably from the last hour or so he'd been out here. Clean-shaven, so he had to have come from somewhere close by in that car of his. Tabby's mouth thinned as she ran a hand down his armor-covered chest. There was a slightly deeper section in the middle of the black armor…a sun of some sorts. His head was the only thing visible outside of his armor; everything else was completely covered in material that felt like plastic, but looked as though it could stop a knife, or maybe even a bullet. What the hell was he doing out here? She glanced at the Absol, who was also still breathing, but with a raspy sound to it. It was indeed blood in her fur, its own from the looks of it. They were both banged up really bad, and some of it looked to be before the Medicham got to them.

"We can't very well camp out here," Tabby said. "If we spend even one night out here away from the Pokemon Center, this Absol might die. I'm gonna go ahead and guess he," she nodded towards the man, "wouldn't like that. So!" She stood and flexed her gloved fingers towards the man, a pink outline surrounding him. "I'll carry this guy if you can get the Absol. We'll have to make some good time to get back before it's super cold, but we should be able to get back before it gets too dark."

Blitz frowned. "Infernape?" He shaped some of the fire on his head into a short beard and made a devilish expression, pointing towards her.

"Oh, right, Jonas," Tabby said. "Shit, I didn't even think about him." She huffed in annoyance. "If he doesn't let us in when we get there—and I don't care HOW dark it's gonna be when we do get there—we're going to have…issues. Regardless, you leave him to me, and be gentle with that Absol."

With many grunts and slip-sliding in the slush created from Blitz' fading heat, Tabby and Blitz climbed slope after slope and headed back to Snowpoint in the quickly fading daylight, something like dread gnawing at Tabby's stomach the entire way as they did so.


	5. Chapter 3: Lost

**Chapter 3: Lost**

Tabby grit her teeth as, for the final time, she forced her wobbly legs up a slope that felt millions of miles long and twice as steep as the last hill they'd crossed. The moon was well-over the edge of the horizon, her face was cold, her nose running, and she just wanted to go home and regretted ever going out and finding the dying man and his Absol in the first place. Magic was like exercise. A fit person can walk or even jog a mile easy. But tell them to do it nonstop without rest and put them on a time limit, and suddenly even those that are trained to do that will become tired. Tabby was pretty good at magic, even if she didn't really understand the fundamentals and the history. But magically carrying a man who definitely weighed at least two hundred pounds by herself? It was tough. She was surprised she hadn't dropped him.

They made it before the Snowpoint gate, and lo and behold, the night shift was out, watching her closely as she approached. But to her surprise, she didn't even have to stop and explain herself. The gate opened as soon as the light from Blitz' flame and the lights upon the wall were enough to make out her face to the guards. Standing on the other side of the gate was Nerevor and Kazam, the former's face controlled by a deep frown. "Tabitha, what…?"

"Long, long story," Tabby wheezed. "Home now please."

Nerevor nodded and motioned for Kazam. She hardly registered Nerevor's hand on her shoulder or the odd teleportation feeling, merely sighing with blissful relief as the weight of the man she had been carrying was lifted off of her tired mind.

"See to it that these two are properly cared for," Tabby heard Nerevor say as she sat down hard on a bench. "The Absol needs to be taken to a Pokemon Center immediately. The man is to be taken to the infirmary. Have one of the Audino tend to him as soon as they can."

Blitz joined her on the bench and leaned into his trainer, his warm flame soothing the ache in her bones. "Fernape."

"Yeah, I'm tired too," Tabby said with a wide-mouthed yawn. "And I think…" She yawned again. "Arceus. I think…a sleepy-sleep is in order. I've never been so tired in my life. Not even yesterday." She yawned one more time. "Silver lining: I can feel my lips again!"

"Infernape! Fernape!" He patted his stomach.

"Oh yeah, eating. That'd probably be nice too. And hey, after the work you put in today, you can have anything you want." Tabby glanced up at her mentor, who sat down next to her. "They gonna be okay?"

"So long as they're cared for now, yes." Those blue eyes of his seemed to pierce Tabby's soul. "I suspect there is much more to the story than what lies on the surface."

"You don't know the half of it," Tabby said. She told him about how they'd come across the man, and how they seemed to have crash-landed in that strange car of theirs. "Any ideas?"

Nerevor rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. "A few. None of them concrete, and none of them good…at least, I don't think." He glanced at her. "It is…unusual of wild Pokemon to outright attack and bully a human in a large group. We've done nothing as a community of humans to make the Pokemon of the forest fear us."

"Maybe it was just the fact that he showed up," Tabby mused. "I mean, if I crashed in the middle of a forest and made a big racket, they'd probably be a little mad too."

Nerevor shook his head. "Not mad. Merely afraid. No, something drove them to attack." He watched a few of the attendants carry the man upstairs. "Unfortunately, it seems we will not learn more until he wakes up. You did well to find him and return, Tabitha. Get some food and some rest. You've earned it."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Tabby said, scratching Blitz behind the ears. "Good night, Nerevor." She stood a little unsteadily and left Nerevor to his thoughts in the Sanctuary's landing as she climbed up the stairs to her room. She got out some spiced Pokemon food and some Poffins for Blitz' extraordinary work beating those two Medicham into stains and sat on her bed. "Blitz, I'm just gonna lay down for a minute, okay?" Her boots tumbled off of her feet and to the floor, her coat still on around her body. "Just…just for a minute I'm gonna um…just lay…"

Her head finished its descent onto the pillows and she faded away.

**###**

Slowly but surely, Floyd pushed his way out of unconsciousness. He was aware of his own breathing, and then his own body weight, and then the slight chill of wherever he was, and that he didn't feel his Absol next to him who had been getting stomped over before he passed out.

His eyes ripped open and he sat up with a jolt.

One second later he regretted that as he clutched at his side, the stitch that had formed from his sudden movement beginning to lessen. As he nursed his side and the world wasn't tinged in red, he took note of his surroundings. It was a large room filled with white-sheeted, simple beds, the lights turned off as though it were quiet hour. Moonlight shone through every window in the place, and though it was empty, the smell of medicine wafted up to his nose, like antiseptic and old cloth bandages. He must have been in an infirmary.

"Ren?" Floyd called out quietly. No answer. Shaking his head, he swung his legs off the bed and stepped onto the cold floor, not worrying about his injuries. He walked around for a little while, checking every bed and every nook or cranny that could have an Absol in it. No such luck. "Where are you?" he wondered aloud.

He turned back around and saw a rather obvious pair of brown oak doors staring back at him. Starting forward, he prepared to enter the hall, his hospital gown flitting around his legs.

Floyd paused.

There may have been more problems than Ren missing.

He looked down at the simple shift he was wearing, made of the same material he was familiar with hospitals giving out and with the same protection hospital gowns usually offered; none. He couldn't well fight off Pokemon or monsters or whatever the hell awaited him beyond that door in this thing, but if Ren was in trouble, by God, he'd go out fighting. Hopefully he'd find her safe and sound.

Then he'd get his armor back.

Sighing internally, Floyd walked forward and pushed the doors open, peering into a long hallway made of wood and modern plaster. That was good at least. The place he'd been rescued/kidnapped to was in the modern ages. He started forwards and looked back and forth at the various doors along the hall's length. Was this a hotel? A disguised prison, perhaps?

His walking eventually brought him to an old wooden staircase that led further downwards. There was hardly a sound from where he stood, but he could almost hear chatter if he strained his ears. There was a chance that whoever was down there was his enemy…and if that was true, Ren could be in trouble. He steeled his nerves and crept as quietly as he could down the stairs. He made it down to a landing and then to the next floor without so much as a creak, and for a moment, he thought he was in the clear. The voices he'd heard at the top of the stair were much clearer now, and he stopped to listen.

"…know if he's gonna wake up tomorrow," someone was saying in a gruff voice. "Nerevor looked worried."

"Wouldn't you?" another voice asked. "Your apprentice brings back a dude that apparently fell from the sky and you aren't worried?"

Nerevor? Who was Nerevor? His rescuer, maybe? "I'd be more worried about having Tabby walk around out there in the night. Oooh, I'd love me a piece of her, and not in the way the militia does."

"I feel you on that." Footsteps began echoing up the staircase, and Floyd backed away into the hall, his heart pounding in his ears. "Nerevor won't let the militia get to her though. And even if they weren't all afraid of him, Tabby goin' missing is a good way to finally get this war started that's been brewing beneath the surface."

"You don't think we're gonna have war, right?"

"I know we're gonna have war. There's already talk of defectors, y'know? Spies and espionage, like in those spy movies."

"The only defector I know is you, dumbass."

They dissolved into good-natured arguing as they came further up the stairs. Floyd turned away from them, ready to search the second floor when he literally ran into a strange yellow thing that floated in mid-air. This one he did recognize; an Abra. It didn't look upset or angry—though it was hard to tell with its blank expression—so Floyd didn't try to rush it. As soon as he reached out to placate it though, it blinked out of existence and disappeared, much like any other Abra he'd interacted with.

The voices on the stair stopped.

"Oh, shit," Floyd whispered as their footsteps quickened and rounded the corner.

Sure enough, two men dressed in warm winter clothing and armed with strange sticks in their hands appeared in front of him in the hallway, the Abra floating close behind. "Hey!" one called, starting for him. Floyd turned immediately and ran the other direction. If they were friendly, they'd just chase him. Hostile…well, he'd probably find out what those sticks in their hands did.

Floyd never got the chance to find out, because Abra teleported in front of him again and held out its tiny little hands. A force that was so strong it might as well have been a physical thing wrapped around him and brought a strange sensation over him.

Floyd blacked out.

When he came to again, he was in the infirmary once more. Sunlight streamed through the windows instead of moonlight, and it was thrown directly onto his bed, warming both him and the mass of fur next to…

"Ren?" Floyd asked.

"Boss?" she asked, perking up. They stared each other in the eye, brown into red for a split second, and then Ren was all over him, licking his face excitedly. "Boss! Oh I knew they wouldn't kill you, I knew it! I was so scared! I woke up somewhere else and there were all these machines and no one was telling me anything and I didn't know where you were and they were asking how I knew how to talk and they didn't know where California was and I didn't know what to do and I didn't know if you had died or if you were in trouble and then some people—"

"Okay, okay," Floyd said, fighting a laugh. He drew her close and squeezed her tight against him. "I'm okay. You're okay. We're safe…I think."

"Where are we? And why does no one know where home is?" Ren asked.

"I don't know, Ren. But we are going to find out." He exhaled through his nose and smiled slightly. "How do you feel?"

"Oh, I feel like a million bucks!" Ren exclaimed. She sprang out of the bed and landed upon the tile floor, chasing her tail around excitedly to drive home the point. "Don't know what was in those things they had me hooked up to, but they healed my ribs up good!"

"That's good at least." Floyd thought on that for a moment, sitting up in his bed. "Did they happen to say where it is we are?"

"Well, when I asked about California, the only thing they could say was that this was Snowpoint or something," Ren said, leaping back up onto the bed and rolling on her back into his lap. "Dunno where that is. Have you ever heard of it?"

"Not that I can remember, no," Floyd said, idly running his hand through her luscious white ruff of fur. Ren's purrs filled the room as he began to think. Snowpoint, hm? That made sense, he supposed. A city or some type of civilization in the snowy regions of Earth. But where? Was it close to Zinnia's homeland, in those uncharted territories? Or maybe they were closer to home than they thought, perhaps in the Rockies? No, it wasn't nearly snowy enough. Perhaps Alaska then. But even so, you'd think that Alaskans would have heard of California.

What was really going on here?

"You're in your mood again," Ren chided, kicking at the air with all four of her paws.

"What?" Floyd asked, snapping out of it.

"Your brooding, what-the-hell-is-going-on mood. You're in it. Written all over your face." She sighed. "First, keep the belly rubs coming. Second, the people that brought me here ain't all bad. They didn't even force me, just asked me if I was really your Pokemon. They made it sound like I could probably leave if I wanted to…I think."

Floyd grumbled. "I'll get out of my brooding mode as soon as I'm sure we're safe. I snuck out of here sometime last night, and some of the guards were talking about war. Some girl named Tabby apparently brought us back from the outside."

Ren frowned. "So…you didn't beat up those Medicham?"

Floyd shook his head. "If that's what those things were, then no, I didn't. It sounds like this Tabby person did. She and this person named Nerevor are apparently morale-makers for whatever is going on here. Apparently there's a militia too, but I only caught the last part of their conversation before I got sent back here."

"Well once we…" Ren's red eyes narrowed, and she immediately got back on all fours, a growl building in her throat. "Something very powerful is coming. I can feel it in my horn."

Floyd's eyes flickered towards the door just as it opened. An old man about as old as Floyd had ever seen stepped through the door, though he walked as though he was still in his sixties. An Alakazam floated next to him, shutting the doors behind the two of them. "A man with an Absol seemingly falls out of the sky," the old man started, "and suffers all of the injuries common with serious car crashes; multiple contusions, scrapes and gashes all on your face, and a few hairline fractures even. Could have been worse, but that strange armor we had to peel off of you probably protected you from the worst of it. Then I'm told that you had your ribs kicked in by a Medicham using High Jump Kick. That's nothing to scoff at certainly, and even a healthy man like you in his…late twenties? Early thirties? Whatever the case, you should be spitting blood for a few more weeks now." The man sat down with a sigh, Alakazam still floating close to the door. "Then I wake up this morning to hear that you were running about Sanctuary as though none of that had ever happened." He scratched at his beard and then leaned forward, hands clasped in front of his mouth. "So, my friend. I believe we need to have a little bit of dialogue, hm?"

Ren started growling, but Floyd placed a hand on her side, calming her. "We're thankful for you rescuing us. And we don't want any trouble." He frowned. "That's the last thing we need; more holes to dig ourselves out of. Since you saved us, we'll introduce ourselves first. My name is Floyd. This overly-protective ball of sunshine is my partner Ren." He extended a hand to the old man and he shook it heartily.

"Ren, Floyd. Good to meet the both of you." A kind smile lined the man's face. "It's good to hear that you don't mean us any trouble. Call it the optimism that comes with my age, but I believe you. My name is Nerevor, and I am the…guardian of Sanctuary, you could say."

"Nerevor then," Floyd said. "Thank you for saving us."

"Oh, the pleasure is all mine, but alas, the act was not. No, you'll want to save your thanks for our own lovely Tabitha. She was the one who came across you in the forest and carried you here." He snorted. "Though I imagine she was quite tired after all was said and done. I've known her since she was just a child, and she still hasn't lost that temper of hers when interrupted from sleep."

"Let's not wake her up then," Floyd said. "I don't suppose you can tell us where this Sanctuary is located?"

"Snowpoint City," Nerevor said. "Or more specifically, the Northern Quarter. You picked a bad time to get lost, friend. There is…danger here in Snowpoint. It is an extremely bad time for tourism, especially when it is unplanned." He shook his head. "That does lead me, however, into my question. How is it that you came here? As I said, Snowpoint is in something of a crisis, so it isn't everyday we have visitors. The way Tabitha described it made it seem like your car was well off the beaten path, and Route 217 is very cleared marked off for the limited vehicle travel we have leaving and entering the city."

Floyd and Ren shared a look, and then the Absol spoke up. "We really don't know. That car? It can fly, if you can believe that. We were on our way back home when we were…attacked, I guess. Someone or something dragged us into a lake." Ren frowned and scratched at her ears. "It was the weirdest thing. It was a clear, sunny day, not a butt in sight, and then all of a sudden, there's a…whirlwind or a hurricane or something dragging us in."

Floyd nodded. "When the dust cleared, we weren't underwater like we thought we would be. Instead we were…in a different world. It was empty space but it was…wrong. There were buildings in the distance that you could see, but they were all really bent and distorted…like looking through a funhouse mirror, I suppose." His fists bunched up the hospital gown at his legs. "Then there was that…thing."

Nerevor raised a white eyebrow. "The thing?"

"Excuse his lack of description, but yeah, it was a thing," Ren said. "Plain and simple. It was huge, like, able-to-wrap-around-a-skyscraper huge. We got chased around for either a few feet or hundreds of miles, couldn't tell ya which one 'cause it all looked the exact same, and then after avoiding it for way longer than I expected, we got blasted out of the sky, passed out, woke up screaming, passed out again, woke up slamming into a forest, passed out again again, got my—sorry—our shit stomped by a Medicham, and…well, you were here for the rest."

Floyd fought back the urge to smile as he watched Nerevor's surprised expression. "Your Absol is, ah, quite the talker, isn't she?"

"You have no idea," Floyd replied, scratching her behind the ears. "Anyways, we were wondering if you could point us in the direction of California…and then maybe an autoshop…and the remains of our car."

Nerevor blinked. "California, my friend? I…fear I do not know that place."

Floyd's heart dropped into his stomach, though Ren did the talking for him. "Hold on, hold on, hold on…you don't know what…er, where California is?" Nerevor shook his head slowly, his blue eyes narrowing. "Okay, okay…what about the United States of America? Does that ring any bells what so ever to you?"

A cold fist closed around Floyd's heart as Nerevor shook his head once again.

"What about North America?" Ren pressed. "South America? Europe, Asia, Africa? Don't forget Australia, don't forget Antarctica, you know the song. Right?"

"I…are the two of you naming off regions of the world? We are in the Sinnoh region as of right now. Those names sound…Unovian, but—"

"Wait, wait, wait," Ren interrupted, standing on all fours. "What planet are we on? More specifically, what year?"

Nerevor blinked and then seemed to stare deeper into both Floyd's and Ren's eyes before answering. "Planet Earth. The year is 2220…and I'm afraid I've never heard of the United States, California, or any of those other names in my entire life."

Ren sat back down on the bed, looking about as stunned as Floyd felt. If the continents of the earth weren't named the same at all but the planet was still called Earth…

Where were they?

Floyd opened his mouth to speak again when Nerevor's stance shifted. He stood up quickly with a slight grunt and then turned to look at his Alakazam. A wordless conversation passed between them and Nerevor nodded, smoothing the fabric of his long coat. "Apologies, Mr. Floyd. I must be leaving now. There are…matters of importance that require my attention." He waved a hand and a cabinet to the right of the hospital bed clicked. "Your things are in there along with an extra change of regular clothes if you wish to change. Your story is…peculiar. I look forward to discussing it later, but in the meantime, I invite you to enjoy Snowpoint and its amenities. Be warned: do not wander about the city after dark. It would be most unfortunate if we undid Tabitha's good work by letting something happen to you."

"That it would," Floyd said. "We'll be careful. Thank you for the hospitality."

Nerevor inclined his head respectfully but left in a rush, Alakazam following close behind him. Floyd didn't want to hold him too long; the old man looked shaken to his core when he'd left.

"Boss…" Ren started. "What…what's happening?"

Floyd scowled, crossing his arms as he sat down on the bed. "I don't know," he responded truthfully. "But it isn't anything to panic about. We need to focus on the upside; we're not dead, these people don't want us dead, and miraculously, we're somewhere where the locals speak wonderful English."

"I guess," Ren said, peering at him with those wide red eyes of hers. "What's your take on ol' Dumbledore?"

A tiny grin tugged at his lips at that one. "He's a nice guy. I don't trust him for a second."

"You just said no one's trying to kill us."

"Not openly. I'm not trusting anyone until I know exactly what's going on." He glanced at the cabinet and opened it with his right hand. Sure enough, his armor was piled in one cubbyhole and a warm change of clothes was in another. "There's only one way to find out, I suppose."

"Going to see this Tabitha girl?"

"You read my mind."

"It's in the job description, Boss."

A crumpled hospital gown and a breathtaking shower later, Floyd changed into the clothes to find that they were 100% undeniably more comfortable than anything he'd ever worn. The soft wool and cloth of the long black coat he'd been gifted hugged him through the warm sweater that had come with the outfit. He examined himself in the mirror and shrugged. The cuts and bruises on his face had already healed, and the ones on his torso would be gone soon. He was glad that wasn't one of the things he'd been forced to discuss with Nerevor; explaining it would have gotten rather complicated. There was also the matter of trusting anyone as of now except for Ren, so…

"Oh my God, Boss," Ren said, looking at him with more sass than was appropriate for an Absol to wear. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Being paranoid," Floyd said as he pulled on the top part of his armor. It wasn't so bulky that it would be totally noticeable through his clothes, especially through the coat. As soon as it touched his skin, he felt a hundred times safer, even if there really wasn't anyone out to get them. "You ready?"

"Right behind ya, like always. But, uh, Boss?"

"Yeah?"

"If we meet this girl and she's super hot, she's gonna think you're a total dork if you're wearing your armor underneath your clothes."

Floyd kept walking towards the door and refused to let the Absol see him grin as he shook his head. "Why did I save you from those Pokemon again?"

"Because you can't live without me," Ren said confidently. "Lead the way."

The knowledge Floyd had acquired from his nighttime excursion hadn't left him, and he led his Absol down the hallway and to the stairs. Unlike last night, the Sanctuary was absolutely bustling with people going about their daily businesses. It reminded Floyd even more of a hotel now that he could see it in action, with children and their parents running around frantically, trying to go from place to place or just race down the halls. More than once or twice he caught a few of the children gaping at Ren, who strutted a little bit more than usual in response to all the attention. By the time they'd descended the stairs to the where he'd made it yesterday, there were quite a few people peering over the railing watching them.

"Looks like we're hot stuff today," Ren remarked as she did a loop around Floyd's legs.

"Looks like it." He peered over the railing and into the landing that was filled with crowds of people, looking for any familiar faces…which at the moment, seemed a little hopeless. As he did so, he watched some of the people going about their activities. One woman with vivid blue hair was leading a group of children outside, small penguin-like Pokemon accompanying them by letting the kids hold their flippers. Another group of people that were about Floyd's age were carrying a load of what seemed like important materials in an assortment of bags and briefcases, an escort of what Floyd could only assume were the evolutions of the small penguins following them. Sitting along a wall were a bunch of high-school aged people talking around a hovering ball of flame in the center of their circle, odd multicolored fox-like Pokemon flitting between their legs or leaping into laps for free petting. Some were purple, one was a black as deep as the night, but the most common color was an icy blue, its ears pointed and rotating about.

"I have a feeling I'm going to need to brush up on my Pokemon knowledge while we're here," Floyd muttered as he watched.

"Can't brush up on what's not there," Ren teased. "You didn't even know what I was when we met."

"Once I heard you speak your native language I figured it out." He did another scan of the room. "This is hard."

"You could always ask someone for help."

"No, I don't want to bother anyone. Besides, if we can find the two guards from yesterday they'll know…Ren?"

He had glanced to his right and the Absol had disappeared. He peered over the railing again and saw the Absol descending into the crowds. He swore under his breath and caught up with her before she got too far in, but not before she circled in between an older, grizzly looking man with a frayed gray beard, iron-gray close cropped hair, intense brown eyes, and a chest like a barrel that was barely contained by his thick brown winter coat. He reached down with a gentle hand and scratched Ren behind the ears. "Is this your Absol?"

"Yeah, sorry about her," Floyd said, snapping his fingers twice. Ren left immediately and heeled. "We're…"

"The people Tabby rescued, yeah?" the man grunted. "Heard all about it. Name's Griffin. It's a pleasure."

"Floyd. Pleasure," Floyd said, shaking Griffin's hand. "We were actually looking for Tabby, but we're kind of lost." He looked up and around him at all the activity. "This place is immense once you're in the crowd."

"Sure is," Griffin grunted, folding his arms across his chest. "I'm a guard here, see. Make sure no one gets in without passing through security at the front door. It's usually the regulars and the students, but sometimes we get visitors…and sometimes we get troublemakers." He raised one graying eyebrow. "You a troublemaker?"

"Not at all. Just looking to pay our respects."

Griffin grunted. "You missed her earlier. Said she was running out for errands or something like that." He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. "My guess is she's headed out to the grocery…then probably to Spinda's Cafe." He grunted again. "You don't know where any of those are, do you?"

"We're…not from around here."

"Mm." He looked over his shoulder. "Corinth!" he barked. There was a shift in the crowd as a man smaller than both Griffin and Floyd pushed through the way, stopping just next to Griffin's side. He was minuscule, just below Floyd's shoulder, and was a young man probably in the prime of his youth. His dark black eyes were ringed with circles, however, and he looked under the weather; his shoulders were slouched underneath his jacket, and his mop of black hair hung like curtains over his long face.

"Yes, sir?" Corinth asked.

"You are to escort Mr. Floyd around town. Show him the grocery, essential stores and outlets, and anywhere else of interest, then make it back here before. Dark. I will watch your post and you will receive bonus pay, is that clear?"

"Transparently, sir," Corinth said. He glanced at Floyd up and down. He had enough experience with reading people that he could obviously see the younger man didn't like him for some reason. "Well, let's get a move on then. Follow me if you would, sir."

**A/N: If you're reading this on AO3, this makes the first three chapters of 25 so far that will be posted here as well as FanFiction.net. Once I get them all caught up with each other, updates will continue to be posted on both sites at the same time. For now, if you're interested in the rest of the story, my ff.net page is in my profile. Thank you for viewing, reading, and reviewing, and I'll see you next update.**


	6. Chapter 4: A Snowpoint Welcome

**Chapter 4: A Snowpoint Welcome**

"…and if you look over there, there's another building," Corinth finished as they crossed yet another street. Floyd couldn't figure out if the young man was extremely sarcastic or if he really just didn't care at all about showing him around the Northern Quarter. Probably both. "Anything else you wanted to see?"

"Not much that we can't find on our own, no," Floyd said. "Thank you though."

Corinth held back a sneer and again, Floyd was sure that he'd offended the man in some way. He'd at the very least done something to deserve the murderous glances cast his way. "Why are you here again? It's not often Snowpoint gets more than the local imports these days into the walls."

"Just passing through…unexpectedly, I suppose. Soon as I can find a way to repair the car we came in, we'll be on the road again…wherever that is."

Corinth sniffed. "Well then. You'll be wanting to visit 53rd and Cherubi Avenue. They have an autoshop somewhere around there." He glanced at the sky. "I should be getting back to my post. You're welcome to accompany me back to Sanctuary or you can head to Spinda's Cafe. Griffin was probably right; Tabby loves that place."

"We'll be fine for now," Floyd said. "Thank you again."

"Of course," Corinth said with a stiff bow. It seemed to be the custom for departures, but there was still something like fury hidden underneath the motion. Regardless, Corinth left him on the sidewalk in the afternoon's cold, his coattails whipping in the wind.

"Seems like a nice guy," Ren said after Corinth had crossed the street.

"That was good of you not to speak in front of him," Floyd said, scratching underneath her chin. "Something about him gives me the creeps."

"You must've missed the heavy sarcasm, Boss."

"Maybe so." He sighed and looked down the street. Standing out amongst the various colors of brick and mortar was a giant likeness of a Pokemon (presumably a Spinda from the swirls on its eyes) sticking out above the street, lit with bright lights and an OPEN sign. "Maybe I just need a shot of…whatever they serve at coffee shops here. Come on."

A push of glass double doors revealed a cozy little coffee shop much like the ones he was used to back home. Wood paneling and walls warmed by uncovered vents on the ceiling, tacky walls splashed with designs that Ren didn't hesitate to note as "hipster", and last but not least, the bustle of a crowd where it had no business being. The streets were colder this afternoon, so naturally everyone had packed into the small shop leaving little to no room for others.

"Alright," Ren said over the noise. "If I were a Tabby, who would I be?"

Floyd frowned, not answering and instead scanning the crowd. It was a woman, fairly attractive according to those guards. Unfortunately that went for about half the total population in the cafe, so…

"Seems like everyone knows her, or at least has heard of her," Ren mused. "Shot in the dark, maybe the barista knows her."

They approached the main counter, Ren still looking behind them. "Excuse me, miss," Floyd said, and the small woman looked up, flustered. "I was wondering if you know a girl named Tabby."

"Ah…yes, sir, she's…" She stood on her tiptoes and looked out among the little shop. "Far corner by the window." Floyd turned and followed her gaze. A woman was leaning back in a chair with coffee in her hands, a strange fire monkey watching their surroundings closely. "Are…are you looking to buy something, sir?"

"Er, no, I don't drink coffee."

Ren's head slammed into his leg.

"And you definitely don't need any, girl," Floyd said to the now-pouting Absol. "Thank you, ma'am."

They approached Tabby from behind, wading through the crowds of over-caffeinated teenagers and dwindling conversations. She was already in a conversation with her Pokemon, though how she could understand him, Floyd had no idea.

"—make any sense," Tabby was saying as she took another sip. "How would the car even get there? And how was that guy _not_ dead? Have you ever been kicked by a Medicham?"

"Infernape!"

"Exactly. Not a fun experience." She sighed and tossed some hair over her ear. "Maybe we ought to pay him a visit later…if he can even move. How do you summon the willpower to run around at night after a beating like that? Probably can't even breathe without feeling like his insides are getting shaken around."

Ren glanced at Floyd, clearly saw he wasn't going to say anything until she turned around, and then darted forward, bumping Tabby's leg.

"Arceus Christ, what…" Tabby blinked. "Wait a minute, aren't you…" Infernape and Tabby both looked behind them at the same time. "Oh."

"Hi," Floyd said. "We're alive."

"So I see," Tabby said. "Never got your name, mostly 'cause you were bleeding from your everywhere."

"I'm Floyd. That little gremlin by your leg is my Absol, Ren. Thanks for saving our lives."

Tabby grinned. "No problem. I'm Tabitha, but most people just call me Tabby. This goofball is my Infernape, Blitz."

"Infernape!"

"Good to meet you two," Tabby said. "Pull up a seat, get comfy." Floyd did as she asked and joined her at one of the small sitting tables. "So, what brings you to our neck of the woods…literally. Oh, and how are you like…walking right now?"

"The first part is a long story. The second…even longer of a story." He told her everything he'd told Nerevor, leaving out the parts about their Earth. If she was close with Nerevor, she'd find out anyways, but he still wasn't trusting of anyone right now. "What do you think?"

Tabby's fingers drummed against the table. Her green eyes were narrowed with thought, and another hand idly twirled her chocolate locks around a finger. "I think that you sound absolutely crazy. Then I realize that we live in a world of magic and creatures that can literally move mountains and destroy giant asteroids according to legend, so…you can't be too crazy."

"Thanks…I think."

"I'm guessing you already told Nerevor half of this already."

"Yeah, we saw him today. He seemed to believe us too, if that means anything."

"You told him everything you told me?" Tabby asked, raising a brown eyebrow. "I'm surprised he's not still chatting your ear off." She rested her chin on her propped-up hand, the other drumming against the wood of the table. "Still, if he believes you, that's good enough for me right now." She smiled at him. "It was nice of you to risk getting your ribs kicked out for your Absol." She reached across the table and scratched under her chin causing the Absol's leg to thump against the chair rhythmically. "She's such a cutie!"

"You're building up her ego, trust me," Floyd said. Ren pulled away from Tabby and rested her head in Floyd's lap, prompting more petting. "Any ideas on what that thing was that was chasing us?"

Tabby shrugged. "Could be anything really. You didn't get a good look at it?"

"It was too big," Floyd said. "Couldn't really see it when its body was wider than my neck can roll."

"Crazy," Tabby said. "Well, I'm guessing any normal-sized Pokemon is out. To be honest with you, I'm fresh out of ideas. That place you were in doesn't make much sense to me either. A never-ending void…kinda sounds like space to be honest. Probably could be too, if there weren't buildings in the distance." She toyed with her hair a little. "I've heard a little bit about this place called Ultra Space. There was a big thing with it a few years back when I was still in, like, grade school. Apparently down in Alola—you know where Alola is right? Down in Alola there was this huge crisis with Ultra Beasts and this Pokemon called Necrozma. Tried to yank the light right out from under us and take it with it into its home. That could be what you fought."

Floyd thought about that. "How big is a Necrozma?"

"Pretty large, but from what I've read, not as big as you're describing. Still, scientists have no idea what Ultra Space really even is, so there's always a chance that it could be a Pokemon we don't even know about." Tabby tilted her head. "Where are you guys even from anyway?"

Uh oh.

"You must be from somewhere that's super high tech." She waved a hand outside to the cars puttering down the road. "We're not in the stone age, but I've never seen or heard of anything like your car before."

What was it that Nerevor had said? Something about America sounding like…

"Unova," Floyd said. "We're…pretty far away."

"Oh, that makes sense," Tabby said, and Floyd nearly let out a sigh of relief. "Well, you're in luck and also out of luck, Mr. Unovian. What did Nerevor tell you when you saw him today? About Snowpoint, I mean."

"Well, he said things were at a low point as of right now," Floyd said, thinking back to his conversation. "Everyone I've talked to seems to think that being out after dark is a good way to get yourself hurt…or worse. And then there's what I heard the two guards talking about yesterday…something about a war?"

Tabby sighed and wiped a coffeestache off of her lip. "Something like that. Look, what do you know about Sinnoh history?"

"Not a thing."

"Fantastic. I'll cut to the chase then. Basically there are two groups of people in this city; the people that can do magic and the people that hate magic. There isn't war yet, but there's going to be. It's almost inevitable at this point."

"The people that can't do magic are jealous of the ones that can, then?" Floyd asked.

"No, far from it. They're scared." She glanced at him up and down. "You're…what, 25? 26? Whatever the case, you look old enough to have been alive since the Great War. Ever heard of Team Galactic?" Floyd shook his head. "Good. That's very good. They were this group of big-bads that tried to end life and existence as we know it. They went for it twice; once 35 years ago and again 25 years later. That second time they used magic and boy, did they put up a fight. A bunch of stuff happened in between that I was way too young to even begin to comprehend it all, and Team Galactic gets put into the ground."

"But the public didn't trust magic anymore, did they?" Floyd said, seeing the pattern right before his eyes.

"Smart man," Tabby said with a nod. "Snowpoint was named the capital city for all things magic, but it was really just an excuse to quell the public and stop them from burning us at the stake for breathing funny. Problem was, there are a lot of people in Snowpoint that lived here before all the changes happened…and they weren't happy at all."

Floyd frowned. "But if war is coming…I wouldn't exactly think the city would look like this. I've seen cities suffering from things a lot worse than war, especially when the war is on their front doorstep. You'd think people would be stockpiling supplies, not drinking coffee."

Tabby shook her head. "It won't start here, specifically. The Northern Quarter is where a good 80% or so of all mages reside. No, it'll start in the border between the Northern and Southern Quarters; the Eastern and the Western Quarters." She thought about that for a moment. "Howsabout we all go on a little field trip? I'll show you around the city if you agree to entertain an idea for me."

"Which is?"

"To help us." Floyd arched an eyebrow and Tabby kept speaking. "Look, I'm not blind. The way you carry yourself, the way you talk, hell, even the look in your eye…I can tell. You're a soldier, aren't you? Or were, at least."

Floyd once again kept his expression neutral. "You're good. In a sense, yes, I was back home. Don't really know if I still am one since we're millions of miles away but yes."

"Okay, so first…" Tabby looked around the cafe and then leaned in close. "Do not tell a single soul besides me and maybe Nerevor that you've served. If ANY of the militia find out, they will find you and make you disappear. Understand?" Floyd nodded and Tabby leaned back into her seat. "They hate it when circumstances change. Right now, they've got the city council riiight where they want them, and an unexpected visitor who knows his way around potential wartime would definitely shake things up." She shook her head. "Anyways, all I ask is that you give us a little…insight when we head back to Sanctuary. What we should plan for, what we should expect, stuff like that. If you do, I'll even help you get that car of yours back in here. We'll think of something…I hope. It was pretty big."

Floyd thought for a moment, and then nodded. "Okay. I'll think about it."

"Great!" Tabby said. "As for now, we should probably go. I gave Blitz a little smidgen of coffee-flavored poffin and he's getting a little…antsy."

The two of them looked at the Infernape who was currently trying to figure out just how many stirring straws he could fit into his nose, Ren watching with great interest.

"Yeah," Floyd agreed. "Let's get out of here."

**###**

Tabby walked alongside her new friend thinking in her head how useful and how dangerous it was that he'd appeared here. Floyd was most definitely not a talker; the entire walk he normally ever spoke when spoken to, and didn't have much to say about the hubbub of the city. That wasn't really surprising considering all of the interesting stuff was back by Sanctuary, but even a few comments about the snow wouldn't have been out of the question for an outsider. His Absol on the other hand was absolutely talkative; she'd been in a PokeSpeak conversation with Blitz for the past five minutes, and hardly seemed to notice the passage of time, the crosswalks they almost stepped out into, or much of anything else.

"So…" Tabby started awkwardly, trying to break the silence for more than a moment at a time. "What is Unova like?"

Floyd considered that, brushing a few stray flakes of snow off of his long coat. "It's…industrial, I suppose." He looked around the streets. "It's nothing like this…at least not where we live."

"Really?"

"Yeah." He pointed at some of the small patches of parkland in between gaps of the weather brick buildings. "You'd never see more than a few of those small little parks in, uh, Unova." He shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably. "It's also way warmer back there than it is here. Does it always snow in Snowpoint?"

There was the snow comment. "Nah. Only about ten months a year. The other two months it just kinda stays around." She grinned. "I'm guessing you don't really have bad winters over there, do you?"

"Not where I live, no. I did live somewhere with blazing summers and bad winters though. Damned place could never decide what kind of climate it wanted."

Tabby laughed. "Did this place have a name?"

"Hell. What's that?" He nodded across the street to a crowd that was forming up in front of a giant building made almost entirely of shining steel and giant glass windows. It was one of, if not the biggest, buildings in the Northern Quarter, and the crowd began circling in its personal cul-de-sac outside of the main doorway.

"Oh." She felt her face sour. "That would be a band of protesters." She squinted. "And if I'm right, they're from the Southern Quarter."

"How do you know?"

"Their signs." Tabby frowned. "They're all anti-magic. That or just…" She pointed to a sign with a few distasteful slurs. "Tasteless."

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment and dark thoughts rushed to the forefront of her mind. No one should have to see Snowpoint like this, tearing itself apart before the actual fight started. She risked a glance at Floyd's face, but he, too, was frowning at the crowd. "They're harassing those people."

Tabby looked back at the crowd. A group of what appeared to be businessmen were trying to leave work and walk to the parking lot next door, but the crowd wasn't having it. They began screaming even louder, shoving and pulling at their clothes. Some of the protesters were older, some were younger. The younger ones were the ones actually touching them, shouting in their faces while their own turned red from anger. One particular protester broke from his lines and point-blank shoved one passing businessman to the ground with intent to injure. He quickly recovered and got up, raising his hand as though holding something behind him. Immediately the crowd leapt back, and more noise roared from across the street.

For the umpteenth time in this month alone, the war was about to start. All the man had to do was conjure some type of magic, even a snowball, and throw it.

"Infernape," Blitz muttered, grabbing Tabby's hand. She hadn't even realized it, but she had been moving towards the crosswalk.

The man stood motionless for a moment and his friend rushed towards him, grabbing his arm and pulling on it frantically. He hesitated…and then lowered his hand.

A breath of relief passed Tabby's lips, replaced by a sharp intake when the crowd, sensing his weakness, picked up snowballs that undoubtedly had gravel or rocks in them and started lobbing them at the backs of the poor businessmen, anger fueled by their near-death experience.

"Fucking sickening," Tabby muttered.

"Why don't the police do something about that?" Floyd asked. "That's definitely not a peaceful protest."

Tabby shook her head. "The militia and the police are practically one in the same thanks to the new city council. They'd only make it worse." She sighed. "Come on. There's something I want to show you."

She tried to put all thoughts of the crowd out of her mind as she lead the way to their destination. They passed more crowds, most of ruddy-faced workers getting out for the day or families on a stroll to a nearby restaurant with their children. Blitz mingled with every Pokemon he saw, whether it was the family Eevee or a hulking protector Beartic. Ren was indifferent, something of a queenly nature in her stride whenever she wasn't talking to Blitz. Tabby saw many familiar faces as they passed. She knew…quite the number of people in the Northern Quarter. The ones she knew…she almost couldn't bear to look at them and see the glimmer of hope in their eyes that she would finally have a way to get them out of this mess.

She smiled and tried to forget those glances as well.

They arrived at their destination at last; in the center of an apartment complex was a cleared off field for the children living there to play in. Iceflowers poked through the surface, their petals glimmering like…well, ice in the sunlight. The trees also let a fair amount of snow drift from their branches in the corners of the field, and a few frozen toys had been left out for later use. In the middle of the field was a large Pokeball design that had recently been re-dug into the layer of snow, its lines extending all the way to the entrance of the center courtyard.

"What's all this?" Floyd asked.

Tabby grinned as she turned around, Blitz' flame slowly turning up in heat. "I've got to give you the Snowpoint welcome. You and me, one-on-one duel right here. Blitz versus Ren."

She was pleasantly surprised to see fire behind those brown eyes of his. "Challenging us when we have the type disadvantage? Tabby, I thought better of you."

"Oh please," Tabby said with a wave of her hand. "I can tell that even if you were only using Dark-type attacks that it would be a close match." She looked down at Ren and saw the challenge behind her eyes too. "So what do you say?"

A smile tugged at Floyd's lips. "Alright. You're on."

They lined themselves up on the opposite ends of the battlefield. Blitz' flame was burning so hot that it was melting the snow around them. Tabby knew he was excited…but then she saw Floyd talking to Ren. The Absol was staring so intently into his eyes…the bond between the two would be unbreakable with even the strongest of Hyper Beams. After their moment, Ren leapt forward and the battle started in earnest.

"Blitz, wrap it up quick! Close Combat!" Tabby shouted. The Infernape hooted his own name with battle fury and rushed forward, kicking up snow as he dropped to all fours.

"Double Team, Ren!" The Absol hunkered down and began vibrating, her lush white coat shaking off the snow that had accumulated there. Before Blitz could reach her, she'd made two, then four, then six copies of herself around the field. Blitz stopped in confusion looking wildly at the seven Absols. "Now rush him!"

The seven Absols blurred forward, crowding around Blitz and forcing him to go on the defensive. At first Tabby didn't understand why all of the copies would attack, but then Blitz began snarling in pain. She saw Floyd's brilliant, simple plan; with all of those copies in a mosh pit, it would be impossible to pinpoint what clone caused an attack and which Ren could actually be hit. The copies danced in a whirlwind of horn and claw, every hit nicking and scratching the Infernape through his thick fur and skin. He tried and failed to catch the real one unawares, swinging his arms and legs in the fluid, non-stop motions of the Infernape evolutionary line, but it was useless. Every attack passed through the copies as though they weren't really there at all, his attacks instead meeting melted snow and stone.

"Double Team again!" More Absols split from around the circle and the attack ramped up in speed even more. It really was a dance of sorts; if Ren tripped over Blitz, it would take her too long to recover and a super-effective move would end the fight. But if Tabby didn't do something…

An idea snapped into her head. "Blitz! Dancing Fire Spin!" The Infernape seemed to nod and leapt into a backflip, his powerful legs carrying him well away from the melee of the fight. He landed in the center of the field and dropped into a wild break-dance, fire kicking out of the soles of his feet. It whipped around in disjointed semicircles, licking across the ground and turning snow into steam. When it reached the Absols, it passed through all of them…except one. The real Ren cried out as the flames leapt up to send her tumbling in a heap to the snowy ground. Tabby pumped her fist and shouted in excitement, "One more time! Close Combat!"

Blitz turned the dance into a jump that boosted him high into the sky, fire trailing from his limbs. He landed close to the prone Absol's body and shot forward as fast as he could before Ren could get back up, her limbs shaky. But if Ren was so shaky, why wasn't Floyd—

"Oh, balls. Blitz, it's a trick!"

It was too late though. Blitz was still loping forward and only stopped when Ren stood up as though nothing had hit her, dropped her shoulder and slammed into Blitz with a well-timed Feint Attack. His jaw fell open as the breath exploded from his lungs, Dark energy radiating from the impact. He skidded backwards in the snow, shaking off the blow. "Blitz, you good?"

"Infernape!" Blitz howled, giving her a thumbs-up.

"Awesome! Just like we've practiced, alright!" Blitz leapt back towards Tabby as Ren crouched down, ready for his next attack. "Fire Blast Barrage!"

A fiery aura surrounded her Infernape, the brightest of which flowed to his outstretched hands. They'd practiced the technique in case they'd need crowd control, and she had to admit, it was…effective.

Blitz howled as the fire inside of him reached its peak and began to rapidly thrust his hands forward. In a volley of dazzling fireballs, the earth itself seemed to shudder as fireball after fireball landed with a large explosion, whipping up hot winds and turning the battlefield into less of a snowy plain and more of a sauna. The temperature leapt up by a good 40 degrees as Tabby smiled, proud of her Infernape's progress. Ren leapt and dodged and eventually had to drop down and cover herself as Blitz' attacks converged on her. A roaring tower of flames shot up in the center of the courtyard, and the remaining snow in the area was completely turned to steam, lowering all visibility for a few moments as it washed over the battlefield.

"Did you get her?" Tabby called into the steam. Blitz leapt back out of the cloud and slapped her hand offering a high-five. "You were awesome! Your technique is really—hold on." She looked up. "What's that noise?"

The steam was beginning to clear, and on the opposite end of the field, Ren was still standing. Her feet were still planted in a small circle of snow, the rest of it having melted around her. A roaring surge of energy that looked like white, translucent fire surrounded her body, curling off it as something began glowing beneath those fangs of hers.

"Blitz, you're out of Fire Blasts from that, aren't you?" He nodded, already setting himself. "Well, no other options." She smiled, the excitement of the battle getting to her. "Blast Burn."

There wasn't anything subtle about the way Blitz charged his attack. The plume of fire on his head expanded so much that it nearly turned Tabby into cinders, shooting up into the sky and whipping around like an Ekans trying to hypnotize prey. The fire then shot down and rotated like a tornado around Blitz' body, tightening and tightening until it flowed back into his body and into his cupped hands. The raw heat that poured off of him battered Tabby in the face, so much so that she wanted to get rid of her fluffy coat. The ground shook as a small point of fire formed between his fingers, trembling as it yearned for release.

"Go!"

"Hyper Beam!"

Blitz screeched his name one last time and thrust both of his hands forward. The small orb of fire made a sound like a high-pitched blowtorch being turned on, a massive amount of pressure forcing its way to the outside world. At its peak, a torrent of flame so wide it could have spanned an entire street shot forward, stopped only by the titanic force of Ren's own Hyper Beam. It was simply light; multicolored, radiant, powerful light focused into a beam that looked like it could rip through solid steel. The attacks met in the middle and immediately began clashing against each other, raw power snarling and snapping at the other side as it tried to overwhelm and deal the final blow.

"Push, Blitz! Give it everything you've got!" Tabby shouted.

"IN…FER…NAPE!" Blitz shouted, fury lining every motion of his powerful muscles. He snarled and strained against the raw might of the Hyper Beam, the light from his Blast Burn so intense it almost hurt to look at. The battlefield shook like a wire under too much tension, the temperature still rising with intensity…and for a moment, it looked as though Blitz was going to win the power struggle.

In an instant, something in the air changed, and more radiant light flared over the courtyard, thrumming in the air itself. Tabby felt happiness, joy, and love. She felt sorrow, misery, and pain. She felt…a bond. An unbreakable bond, stronger than deeper than anything on the planet.

That feeling…came from the other side of the field.

Blitz had less than a second to react as the Hyper Beam suddenly tripled in size and intensity, completely swallowing the Blast Burn and cascading towards him. He killed the flow of fire and held up his hands, shrieking in fear as the energy wave descended upon him and swallowed him a flare of light. Tabby quickly called magic into a ward and braced herself as the titanic Hyper Beam smashed into him and sent him flying into her arms. The ward took most of the impact, though his heavy body still rather hurt against her, and a plume of smoke shot to the sky from the colossal impact that shook the foundations of the buildings around them. Blitz was completely out cold, no doubt about it in the slightest.

"You did amazing, buddy," Tabby said, kissing his furred forehead. She looked up as the smoke began to clear and the rumbling stopped. A different sound met her ears now; the sound of a cheering crowd. She looked to her left and right, saw the people living in the complex with their windows open and cheering after their battle, kids whooping and hollering after the big lightshow. A lot of them were looking at Tabby and Blitz, and the others were gaping at Floyd and Ren.

As the smoke cleared, Tabby saw why.

Standing on the other side of the field was Ren, but much different than before. She'd grown almost another foot, her claws sharper, her horn larger and still glowing white. Her fur had expanded on her back, giving her the appearance of wings. The radiant energy still poured off of her body, and though she was breathing hard, she remained standing, a winner's smile plastered on her tired face. Behind her, Floyd stood tall, also shaking a little but still standing as well. The energy seemed to pour from his chest to connect with his Absol, connecting the two of them with that multicolored light.

It seemed that Ren was strong enough and connected enough with her trainer to Mega Evolve.

As the crowd around them cheered and Ren descended from her Mega Evolution, Tabby, for the first time in a while, felt a flicker of hope.


	7. Chapter 5: The Sanctuary Council

**Chapter 5: The Sanctuary Council**

The residents of Snowpeaked Apartments—ironic considering most of the snow around there had melted—thanked Tabby and Floyd generously for the heated battle, but then asked them to leave as their children were getting a little too rowdy. After returning Ren to her Pokeball and making sure Blitz hadn't been turned to ashes, they set back down the sidewalk to Sanctuary. They stopped to check in with Griffin who was still dutifully guarding his post, and then walked through the lobby next door to the Pokemon Center, its station manned by a bubbly, pink-haired nurse.

"Good to see you, Tabby!" the nurse said. "And…oh my. Who is this lovely gentleman you've brought with you?"

Floyd felt himself blush under the nurse's eye but Tabby simply sighed. "This is the guy we found outside the walls. Nurse Joy, Floyd. Floyd, Nurse Joy." She stepped forward and put her Pokeball in the tray, Floyd doing the same.

"I'll take extra good care of them, don't you worry," Nurse Joy said. "Don't be a stranger, Floyd."

"He won't be," Tabby said, grabbing his wrist. "Come on. I'm starving."

Later, he and Tabby sat at a bar a little ways down the street. It wasn't so much cozy as it was cramped, low-lit and definitely not for someone looking for a quiet meal. Still, it was better than most of the bars he'd ever been too. The music was…odd. It was played off of two men on guitars and squat purple Pokemon with wide-open mouths providing an assortment of other sounds. The other patrons around didn't seem to think much of it and it didn't sound bad so Floyd didn't care much. What he did care about was the food. It was delicious, every bite leaving his stomach craving for more. He hadn't eaten in almost a day, and after that Pokemon battle, he felt as though he could've eaten the Pokemon on stage and still been full.

"You, uh, look hungry," Tabby noted, watching as he stuffed more fries into his mouth.

With difficulty, Floyd got it down and took a breath. "Yeah, sorry. I don't think I actually ate anything when I left Sanctuary today, and Mega Evolving really took a toll on my body."

Tabby arched an eyebrow. "It did? How?"

Floyd wiped his mouth and briefly eyed the rest of his burger, thanking whatever God that existed in this universe that Pokemon were just as tasty as a cow. "Mega Evolving requires effort from both parts. When Ren goes into that state, it's up to me to provide…a good 75% of the energy required to maintain it. My body is also compensating for hers right now. I 'feel' everything she felt, and she was pretty hungry too."

"So, if you were already hungry and she was really hungry…ah, yeah. I get it now." She thought about it for a moment. "Do you want another one of those?"

Floyd looked down at his burger and felt a little guilty. Tabby had correctly assumed he didn't have any Sinnohian money, and she was correct. In fact, he likely didn't have any money that was passable in this world. "I don't want to be a bother," he replied.

"Nah, don't worry about it," Tabby said. "Call it…incentive."

Floyd smirked and swallowed another big bite. "For helping you, you mean?"

Tabby nodded. "What you did to Blitz…I mean, not to toot my own horn, but my Infernape is pretty damn strong. Being able to beat us with type-disadvantage alone is impressive, but that Mega Evolution…man. And she was so powerful too! How long have you two been able to do that?"

"For about as long as I've known her give or take, so…12 years?"

Tabby leaned back in her seat, shaking her head with amazement. "They must make 'em different in Unova. How hard was boot camp?"

A vivid flashback to all of the combat training, pains, losses, victories, and other good and bad memories ripped through his mind in a single instant. "It was…rough."

"You're not a real talker, are you?"

"It's one of my weaknesses."

Tabby chuckled and got the attention of a waitress, ordering his empty stomach another burger.

**###**

"This is you," Tabby said. She opened the door into the room he and Ren would be staying in. It was quaint, bland, and lacking anything that wasn't essential. There was a closet, a bedroom, a bathroom, a stove and fridge, and a couch with a small television on top.

"Thank you," Floyd said, stepping in. "It's perfect."

"Both of our Pokemon should be healed up by at least noon tomorrow," Tabby explained. "Healer takes a little while, especially with young trainers running around." She paused. "Hey, if you're done for the night…wouuuuld you be up to attending a little meeting with me?"

"Of what regard?" Floyd asked, putting his coat away in the closet.

"Couuuuld be the weekly advisory meeting that I have to go to," Tabby said, and even though he wasn't looking at her, Floyd could tell she was giving him the big-green eyes. "See, we have this big council of trusted members of Sanctuary, and if you come they'll give you the rundown of what's going on—"

"Alright. I'll come."

"I know, I know, you're tired—wait, really?"

"Yes. I told you I would help, and I will keep my word." He shrugged his shoulders. "Lead the way."

Tabby studied him for a moment, then smiled. "Alright. This way."

As they walked down the hall, something rang to the front of his mind that he'd been meaning to ask. "Tabby, do you know a man named Corinth?"

Her noise of disgust made it clear, but she continued. "Yeah, I do. I'm guessing you met him."

"He was the one that showed me around town. Briefly, anyway."

"Yeah, he's a nasty piece of work. Kinda creepy, always hangs out in the shadows, and definitely does not sleep more than two hours a night."

"Did I do anything to him? He…didn't seem to like me much."

Tabby waved a hand. "Trust me, not being liked by Corinth is like, the true test of whether or not you're a decent person. If Corinth does like you, it's either because he wants something or because he has your soul and is possessing you."

"Funny."

"I'm not joking." She smiled and put a finger to her lips as they reached the bottom floor and rounded a corner. A giant oak door seemed to block their path, and if his memory served him, lead to the courtyard where some of the younger people had been running to and from. "Give me your hand." Floyd did as she asked and she closed her eyes, seemingly concentrated. A brief sense of disorientation passed over him, but as quick as it came, it vanished. "Okay," Tabby said. "They're right through the door."

She pushed the door open, the thing gliding silently on its hinges and to his surprise, there wasn't a courtyard there anymore. It was an entirely different room, something akin to…well, a war room. In the center of the room was a model city of what was likely Snowpoint, sectioned off into four quadrants. Around the room were various items of helpfulness. Some were oddities that wouldn't have been found back on Earth; stashes upon stashes of extra Pokeballs, odd spray bottles full of glowing liquid categorized by color, multitudes of berries. But others were familiar; rolling whiteboards and markers, knapsacks full of meager supplies, lots of extra water, crates of spellbooks, staves, and for better or worse, guns and ammunition lining the walls. A light shone from above that covered the entire speaking floor in a gentle gold, and just being near it seemed to wash away some of the aches and pains that lingered from the crash yesterday. Sitting around the model city were a few familiar faces; Griffin, who still seemed to be keeping watch even though there was no one to watch over, Nerevor, his Alakazam, and Corinth, surprisingly. There were more than a few people Floyd didn't recognize, and as expected, Griffin immediately crossed over to Tabby in a confrontational pose.

"Tabby," he rumbled. "I know you've had a long day, but you couldn't have forgotten that civilians are supposed to be kept out of this room, right?"

"Griffin, I—"

"Mr. Floyd, if you'd please follow me," Griffin said, cutting her off.

"Griffin, wait!" Tabby said. She peeked around his wide shoulders. "Nerevor, could you tell him to chill out please! I'm trying to help here!"

"I agree with Griffin, Nerevor," Corinth said at once. "Outsiders like him are not to be trusted! For all we know, he could…he could be a spy! Turn him away immediately!"

Griffin turned to look at Nerevor, ignoring Corinth's loud protests. Floyd realized he and the rest of the room wouldn't move until he gave the order. His gnarled hands were folded before his lips, his blue eyes piercing as he stared at them from beyond the table. "I hope she did not force you into doing this, Mr. Floyd."

"Not at all, sir," Floyd responded. "She asked me earlier and I volunteered."

"And, if you do not mind my asking, why would you go out of your way to aid us? If you see yourself in some sort of debt to us, you may consider it discharged. There is no reason for more innocent lives to be put at risk."

Floyd shook his head. "From what I've seen today, not at least offering some advice would go against everything I work for and believe in."

A white eyebrow climbed halfway up Nerevor's forehead. "And what exactly was it that you saw today?"

"Another 'protest'," Tabby said. "We both saw it this afternoon. Nerevor, it's…it's getting bad. They're getting aggressive even in our part of the city."

The old man shared a glance with one of the people Floyd hadn't met yet; a middle-aged woman with iron-gray hair. "Have a seat, Tabby. Mr. Floyd, if you are absolutely sure about this, you may stay." The two of them sat down around the table, Griffin relaxing and standing behind Nerevor protectively. "Now, before we resume, introductions are in order. Mr. Floyd, as you all were briefed, was found outside the city walls due to…curious circumstances. Mr. Floyd, you have obviously met Tabitha, Griffin and Corinth, I would imagine. This," he said, gesturing to the gray-haired woman, "is my assistant Vanessa. She came over to our side a few months ago when her husband was murdered after being accused of cheating in a Pokemon battle." She nodded to Floyd solemnly, her eyes also like storm clouds as they leered at him from across the model city. "The young man next to her is our resident Gym Leader, Zero…er, he will be once we clean up this mess."

"Sup," Zero said with an incline of his head, shaking some shaggy black hair out of his face. He was the type to never get cold, it seemed, wearing an outfit that contrasted what everyone else was wearing. Where thick coats and long pants that hugged the limbs seemed to be the norm for the frosty city, Zero was wearing a long-sleeved flannel that was open to expose his bare chest, some frayed shorts, and nothing else.

"There are others that you will meet in time, I would imagine," Nerevor continued. "This is what we intend for the city council to be made up of once we regain formal control of the entire city and drive out the militia. Now Tabby, please explain to the rest of us what you saw."

Tabby shrugged and told the council about the protest in front of the large building downtown. Every single one of the council's faces turned in disgust as the story went deeper and finally ended.

"So they're physically harassing civilians now?" Vanessa asked, her weathered face wrinkled with anger. "They should be ever so lucky that man didn't skewer them with an ice spear."

"This isn't good, Nerevor," Griffin rumbled. "If they're getting bold enough to start shoving people around like this in the Northern Quarter, it's only a matter of time before things really get moving along."

"We need a plan of attack!" Corinth exclaimed, leaning out of his chair in excitement. "Let's take the fight to them and see how they like it!"

"No, Corinth," Nerevor said at once. "We will not incite violence first. Our best course of action in this war is to avoid it entirely. As of right now, besides a few old-school sympathizers, the entire magical community of Snowpoint is on our side. Reckless bloodshed would only give the militia more fuel in which to spread their fire."

Corinth wilted as Zero chimed in. "Yeah, gonna have to agree with that one. There's also the whole Pokemon League and the government thing we gotta worry about too. See, if we start a fight and the government and the Pokemon League finds out I was backing you up, we'd be, and mind my Kalosian, pretty fucked."

"Thank you, Zero," Nerevor said. "No, our best course of action as of right now is to prepare for the coming days ahead as a possibility, not as a sure-fire outcome." He took a deep breath and then offered a small smile to Floyd. "Mr. Floyd, I would assume Tabby brought you here for some other reason than the fact that you wanted to help. Is there anything you can tell us that would aid us in our current struggle?"

Floyd frowned. "I'm still confused about the whole thing here. If you guys are in so much trouble and it's obviously against…whatever form of government Sinnoh has, why not go to the government directly and stop it?"

"If only it were that easy," Tabby mumbled.

"Snowpoint is so far north that transmissions get lost in the mountains if the equipment isn't strong enough to send it out," Griffin explained. "Ever since the second Galactic War, we've been in a bit of an economic decline, and when the militia took over, they got access to the one thing we needed to actually send one of those messages; our Hub."

"Every Pokemon Center has a built-in transmission center that is capable of accessing every other Pokemon Center on the worldwide network," Nerevor said. "Our Pokemon Center would do just fine to send a message to the Pokemon League's Pokemon Center to the east, but our signal needs to be boosted from the Hub so that it can be pushed to the mainland and then to the League."

"And with the Hub gone, you can't get a word to the outside world that they don't want you to," Floyd finished. "Why not an old-fashioned letter?"

"Tried that too," Zero said with a shrug. "They keep a mighty fine surveillance or somethin' though, because we haven't heard any word back. Tabby there goes out once or twice a week looking for any signs that someone's coming for us. No dice."

"It's gotten to the point where we're considering going further south down the Route," Tabby said. "Where I found you? That's only a quarter of the way down the Route, and it still takes a good chunk of the day to make a round trip. South from here is Snowpeak City, but it's full of the old-school types who don't like magic."

"We will try again," Nerevor said. "We must. But that is besides the point. Mr. Floyd, what advice would you have for us?"

Floyd felt all eyes on him, and he suddenly realized that he could probably tell them all to eat their left shoe for good luck and they'd consider it. They were desperate for a way out of this without bloodshed…something he couldn't even see as a possibility. He decided not to tell them that though and stood up from his chair. "Is this all you have stockpiled in terms of supplies?"

"No," Vanessa said. "We've got hundreds of trusted suppliers in the area sitting on caches of food and water, and we've gotten word around the entire Northern Quarter that everyone should be setting aside supplies in case they need to move quickly."

Floyd nodded. "Nerevor, let's say you had to put up a giant magical wall and section yourself off from the Southern Quarter, and by extension, the rest of the world. How long could you ration out supplies for the public?"

"We are well equipped to handle a siege for about three months, four if our belts are tightened." His hands tightened around each other. "I fear the conflict, if any, will be over much shorter than that though."

Floyd folded his arms and looked down at the model city. "Well, you have supplies and no one is going to starve to death. There are a lot of things desperate people will do when their families are hungry. Your main focus should be getting to this 'Hub' and getting word out to some officials that aren't corrupted that you're in danger. If the fighting comes down to it and the other side somehow wins, they'll tell the public outside of Snowpoint how it was all your fault, and those who survive won't be for long."

"But there's no way to get inside," Tabby said. "That place is on lockdown by, like, a gazillion goons and their Pokemon at all times. We could force the doors open, but at that point, we're already over the red line."

"I'm telling you all it's pointless!" Corinth exclaimed once more. "We will get nowhere without violence! If we take a few days to rally our most experienced magical duelists and the strongest Pokemon Trainers in the area, then—"

"That is enough, Corinth," Nerevor said with clipped words. "One more talk of ludicrous violence and I will have you ejected from the meeting." Rage burned behind Corinth's eyes but he fell silent.

And as he did, an idea flared to life behind Floyd's eyes.

"No. He's right." The entire table looked at him incredulously, so he continued. "There is no way that any of you would be able to get inside that building without brute force." A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "But I can."

"You can?" Tabby asked, her disbelief plain. "Do…do you have a plan?"

"I do. I will sneak into the Hub, send the message, and not get caught while doing it."

Nerevor frowned. "Mr. Floyd, we appreciate the enthusiasm, but…how exactly will you pull that off? As we've said, there are…quite a number of armed guards, not to mention their Pokemon. It will be a difficult task to fool their noses and avoid the eyes of the guards."

Floyd shook his head. "I've got a lot of experience from my time as a…soldier sneaking into places where I don't belong. And if things do go wrong, I've never met any of you and I will come quietly to the militia without a fight."

Once again, all eyes looked to Nerevor, who studied Floyd for a moment. "What would you require to do this?"

"Everything I'd physically need is still out in the woods somewhere," Floyd said. "If I can retrieve our car, I'll be all set. All I'd need from you is where the Hub is located, and the message you want me to send."

"Then you will have our assistance," Vanessa said with a nod. "You are absolutely sure you can do this?"

"No," Floyd said honestly. "I don't know how long this conflict has been going, but I know that everyone here knows how quickly plans can fail. There is a good chance I will be captured or even be killed."

"Then why help us?" Corinth asked. "Why would you stick your neck out for all of us? You don't even know us!"

Floyd met his gaze and Corinth looked away first. "Tabby saved my life. Nerevor is graciously allowing Ren and I to stay. I owe them both a debt, and I will see it discharged."

Tabby smiled at him as Zero spoke up. "I like him! Nev, I say we help him out! Everyone agree?"

There was a general assent, even from Corinth who folded his arms and mumbled it.

"Very good," Nerevor said. "Mr. Floyd, Tabby is the most equipped of all of us in navigating the terrain outside the city. Tomorrow morning she will accompany you and help you to retrieve your car. Everyone else, we will have a quick meeting in the afternoon after whatever tomorrow morning brings us. You are all dismissed."

With that, the meeting of the Sanctuary council was adjourned.

**###**

"Floyd!" Tabby said, catching up with the man as everyone shuffled around, grabbing papers and mock-ups to put away. "I just, uh, wanted to say…you don't have to do this."

He arched an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

"Well, I mean, it's really sweet and all, but…I don't want you to be in danger because you feel like you owe me. The plan was to get your insight on this thing, not to…take action."

Floyd shook his head. "Not taking action doesn't really go well with me. And besides, even if I had saved myself and hadn't owed you all anything, I would have tried to help anyways."

Those words made absolutely no sense to Tabby, who had seen so much selfishness in the past few…months? Years now? She was losing track of time. "Why?" she asked finally.

He shrugged and began climbing the stairs to his room, uttering his response like it was the most simple thing ever. "Because it is the right thing to do." He stopped on a stair. "And…"

Tabby frowned. "And?"

He turned around to face her, his brown eyes deep and sad, though his face was completely neutral. "And because…it is what I _need_ to do."

Tabby didn't know what that meant, but didn't try to stop him as he turned back away from her and started back up the stairs again.

**###**

The night was out, the moon was full, and the snow had settled on the streets for the final time in Snowpoint as the city fell fast asleep.

And from the central city building that overlooked all four quarters of Snowpoint, the city council chief known as Olivier was bored.

She was a simple woman; she wanted to keep the true people of Snowpoint safe. Whether that was from outside the city or within, it didn't matter to her. And as of right now…things were looking to be rather hectic in the next couple of weeks. Maybe even as soon as the next couple of days.

There was a knock on her lavish chamber door, and Olivier let them wait for a moment before answering. She placed the glass of wine on her table and didn't take her eyes off of the beautiful snow-capped skyline. "Enter."

The door opened and she heard the clicking of boots on the floor as whoever it was crossed to her. "Ma'am, there is something that requires your attention." Olivier spared a glance over her shoulder. It was one of the younger folk that worked in tech, a pretty little thing who would no sooner disobey her than she would hurt a Cutiefly. "You asked to be notified if any powerful trainers or otherwise entered the city?"

"Yes, yes," Olivier said, examining a frayed end of her long brown hair. "We've taken note of everyone who has left and who has entered. Are those reports correct?"

"Well, yes, but…no," the tech worker said.

"By Arceus, spit it out," Olivier said. "I'm not going to punish you unless you lie to me or for someone. Do you plan on doing that?" The techie shook her head, a furious blush of nervousness on her features. "Then tell me the problem."

"It's just…well, there is a, um, viral video that the Hub has blocked from going worldwide. The Porygon protecting the servers downloaded a copy and…" She took out a tablet and placed it in front of Olivier. It was an aerial view of a Pokemon battle between…

"Oh, brilliant," Olivier said. "Tabitha is becoming stronger then, is that it?"

The techie shook her head. "Tabitha didn't win that fight, ma'am."

"What?" Olivier turned from her and watched the battle. On the other side was an Absol who dodged and weaved between a shower of fireballs, and when they ended, emerged unscathed charging a Hyper Beam. The two Pokemon battled furiously, and the videotaker swore as he ducked underneath his windowsill, a blast of light whiting out even the camera. When the dust settled and he peeked his camera out again…the Absol had Mega Evolved. Tabitha's Infernape was out cold, and the Absol was standing proud alongside her trainer, a tall man whose Mega Energy radiated from his very chest.

"Ma'am…the only trainers on record that are able to Mega Evolve are Zero and Nerevor."

"Run his ID through the Trainer Card registry," Olivier said. "Have it to me by tomorrow morning."

"That's just it, ma'am…we did. Several times. He…he doesn't exist."

"That's impossible," Olivier said at once. "There was a mistake, obviously. A fluke."

"Porygon verified the data," the techie said. "The…the trainer has literally never existed inside any system as far as we know."

Olivier's fingers rubbed her bottom lip thoughtfully. "And you're sure on this? You would be prepared to risk your life on this information?"

"I…well, I…y-yes ma'am."

Olivier's frown turned into a smile. "Well then. This is rather interesting, isn't it? Go to my secretary's desk. If she is still in the building, tell her that I wish to see all of the gate guards that were on staff from the beginning of the week until today."

The techie nodded, obviously glad to still be breathing, and left in a hurry, leaving Olivier to her thoughts. Yes, Olivier was still very, very bored.

But a small part of her, tinier than even the smallest of cells, felt something other than boredom. Fear? Anxiety?

No.

Excitement.


	8. Chapter 6: Black Skies

**Chapter 6: Black Skies**

The crack of two Pokeballs rang out over the Northern Quarter's Pokemon Center as Floyd and Tabby woke up extra early to retrieve their Pokemon and get on the road. Ren shook all over, stretching and yawning wide enough to make even the toothiest of dinosaurs jealous. Blitz came out immediately ready for action, springing to his feet and swinging around his trainer's waist, hooting excitedly.

"I missed you too," Tabby giggled, patting him on the shoulder to calm him down. "Have a good rest?"

"Infernape!"

"Good. We've got a busy day ahead of us."

Floyd smiled and looked down at Ren. "What about you? Ready to go get our car back?"

Ren opened her mouth to speak, but glanced at Tabby, deciding against it. "Absol! Ab absol!"

Floyd winked at her and got one back in return as he turned to Tabby. "So then. What's first?"

"We'll have to make for the southern gate and head into the trees," Tabby said. "Kazam can get us to the gate but from there we're on our own. I'll admit, I was a little wary at first, but between Ren, Blitz, and my magic, we should be able to handle anything that comes our way while we're out there." She checked her bag one more time and nodded. "Right. Let's go to the lobby. Nerevor is gonna want to speak to us before we take off."

They walked out of the Pokemon Center—much to Floyd's relief, as he could still feel Nurse Joy's eyes on his back—and into the Sanctuary's lobby. The building wasn't quite awake yet, a few security officers roaming around and relieving shifts and some of the vendors that hung out near the lobby setting up shop. Nerevor and Kazam stood near the entrance which was still shut to the public, a smile on the old man's face.

"I hope the amenities were to your liking, Mr. Floyd," Nerevor said as they stopped in front of him.

"They were, thank you," Floyd replied. "You can add comfortable beds to another thing I owe you for."

That got a chuckle out of him as he looked to Tabby. "You are ready then, my dear?" She nodded. "You must come back to us, both of you. Do not take more risks than are necessary and try to be back before dark."

"What are you going to do while we're gone?" Tabby asked.

"A matter of importance came up yesterday," Nerevor said, frowning into open air. "I am going to continue my work from yesterday, but that is of no worry to the both of you. Be safe, and I will see you soon. Kazam, my friend, if you would."

"Kazam!" the Alakazam said, his narrow eyes glowing a vibrant pink.

The last thing Floyd saw before he was atomized was Nerevor still scowling, as though something was really troubling him.

**###**

Olivier stirred her morning coffee as she sat in the interrogation room waiting for the gate guards. The excitement she'd felt last night had died when she'd slept, replaced by more annoyance and boredom. She wanted nothing more than for Snowpoint to be safe but she'd rather be in command from far away. Like in Sunnyshore, perhaps. It wasn't as cold as a Froslass' touch…probably weren't any Froslass there at all, actually.

She was shaken from her musings as the door opened, one of her guards admitting one of the unshaven gate guards through. "Ah, yes. I believe we've met before…you're the Captain of the Watch as of right now yes? Jonas, was it?"

"Y-yes ma'am," Jonas said, sitting down across from her. "How can I be of service?"

Olivier sipped at her coffee. "Delicious. I really do have some marvelous attendants, you know. It is amazing how there are some in history who thought to rule by fear instead of commanding loyalty. It is ever so refreshing not to have to threaten my staff with death or bodily harm because they failed me. No, no, loyalty," she took another sip, "is the best spice." She glanced across the table. "Tell me, Jonas…have you ever had to punish one of your guardsmen?"

"I…once or twice, ma'am. They were slacking or drinking while on the wall."

"Mm. Their names?"

Jonas swallowed. "Well…this was a very long time ago, and they've already been disciplined—"

"Their names, Jonas," Olivier repeated icily.

"Mattias and Lawrence…but I don't see—"

"You see, Jonas…yesterday I was informed that there is a very powerful trainer running amok in our city. Are you aware of the Trainer Registry in the system?"

"Y-yes ma'am. It keeps track of all of the important people that live in Snowpoint."

"Very good. As of right now there are quite a few more names than expected, but given that the Sanctuary is a breeding ground for magical and Pokemon talent, that is to be expected. Regardless, we had everything neatly under our feet until yesterday." There was a table on the metal table, and Olivier tapped on it, bringing it to life. The Pokemon battle the tech worker had shown her yesterday started replaying itself. "Do you see that man?"

"Yes ma'am," Jonas said, and Olivier watched a trickle of sweat run down his jaw and into his grizzly beard.

"It is…peculiar, because I was told that he was not registered in the Trainer ID system. Thus, we cannot identify him through the registry. Now…I was under the impression that near the gate, there is a customs office in which all visitors of the city are required to sign in and out of so that we may keep tabs on their whereabouts." Olivier folded her hands before her lips. "Can you explain to me then why my assistants have combed through the logs from the beginning of the week even, and this person is still yet to be found?"

Jonas swallowed. "I…I don't know, ma'am."

"You don't know," Olivier repeated. "How very…disappointing." She smiled, toying with her hair with a single finger. "Jonas, did you know that you are in the Registry as well?"

Jonas looked up from studying the metal surface of the table. "What?"

"Oh yes, we log everyone, including our own city employees! Number of Pokemon owned, their approximate level, their trainer's date of birth, residence, whereabouts of family members, that sort of thing." She watched the blood drain from Jonas' face and kept speaking. "Now, it has come to my attention that we seem to have a…what do you call it…a false positive, yes? For some reason, my records show that you have a living wife at your home address." Her hard, onyx eyes stared into his. "Is this information correct? Or do I need to send for someone to…update that information?"

"Wait, ma'am, please wait!" Jonas said, standing up. "It…it is possible that…that Nerevor has s-something to do with it! He…he brought Tabby up to the gate herself, and I was off shift before she was able to return to the city gates!"

"Really?" Olivier asked. "Nerevor himself, you say? I haven't seen the old man leave the block of the Sanctuary is on in years, much less travel to the Southern Quarter with Tabitha." She thought on that for a moment. "Do you know who was on guard duty when you left?"

"I…I can get those logs pulled for you right away! Even better, I'll have them sent to you! A-and the camera footage! Whatever you need!"

"Oh, how lovely," Olivier said. "Make sure it is in my hands before the day ends or I will be…cross. You may go." Jonas stood up shaking from head-to-toe when Olivier snapped her fingers. "Oh, and one more thing Jonas!" He turned around fearfully, cringing away from her like a cowardly Lillipup. "Do put on a look of relief when you go out the door. I would hate for your sour look to ruin morale. And you would do best not to speak ill of this conversation to anyone. I will know…and I will punish you."

Jonas all but ran out the door as he nodded, fixing his face as it swung on its hinges. Olivier leaned back in her chair smiling, enjoying her cup of coffee once more as she waited for the other guards.

Nerevor…

The smile melted off of her face as she glanced at the Pokemon battle on the tablet, the image frozen as the camera was zoomed in on the mystery man.

**###**

"This is it," Tabby said, rubbing her numbing hands together and summoning some fire. The cold fled from them at once as she shoved them deep into her pockets. "We're gonna cut through the trees here and unless a Beartic came in and snatched it up to use as a couch, it should still be there."

"Hopefully," Floyd said, coming to a stop behind her. "Lead the way. We don't have much time to waste."

Tabby nodded and half-walked, half-stumbled down the hill, her companions in tow. She'd rather enjoyed the past hour or so of walking. Although he didn't talk much, Tabby was quickly coming to realize that Floyd was as reliable as the sunrise, always vigilant and always watching her back. The other thing pushing back the usual loneliness of traveling down Route 217 in the frigid cold was Ren and Blitz, who had jumped back into a fascinating conversation consisting of the repetition of their species' names in various pitches. It was a better sound than the monotone crunch of snow beneath her boots. Sometimes she would get so bored even _with_ Blitz that she would try to step differently just to try and make a song out of the crunches.

 _I think I need more friends,_ Tabby thought.

"So, Tabby," Floyd said, interrupting her thoughts. "How did Ren and I look when you rescued us?"

She thought about that for a moment. "Eh. Not bad. You were pretty banged up…aaaand you had blood on your…" she made a big show of studying him, "…everywhere."

She laughed as that got a smile from him. "Very descriptive, thanks." His smile faded. "Did you notice anything odd about Corinth yesterday?"

Tabby waved that off. "Corinth is…a bit hyperactive? He hasn't been on that council very long, so he's got a lot to prove."

Floyd frowned. "Maybe so, but…did any of his demands seem…out of character? Has he normally been a person who goes to violence first thing?"

Now it was Tabby's turn to frown. The man was little bigger than a light branch, and probably hit about as hard as one too. He'd always been confrontational and cross…but Floyd was right, he'd never voiced wanted to get into a fight. He had little in the way of magical talent either, always preferring to make others do the heavy lifting or solve conflicts that couldn't be won by sneering or scornful arguments. "I…guess not. Why?"

"It's something that was bothering me all last night," Floyd said, a gloved hand reaching up to scratch at his stubbly jaw. "If what I saw and heard is true, you guys probably _could_ crush the entirety of Snowpoint in a head-on assault. But Corinth knew what repercussions that would have on the rest of the city, hell, even the rest of Sinnoh, right? Why would he be so insistent on firing the first shot? What would he have to gain?"

A cold wind blew through the trees, causing the both of them to shiver as it passed. Tabby's hand came up and summoned an invisible heat wave, the warmth replacing the cold. "Nothing. No one in Snowpoint has anything to gain from a full-out war between each both sides." She blushed. "I'm, um, not the best at magic, but at my max power, I could probably reduce this, let's say, 50 foot radius to a burning wasteland." She snorted. "So basically the same but on fire. Uh, regardless, imagine another 300 of me, about…500 bargain-brands of me, 15 bargain-brands Nerevors…and Nerevor."

"You'd probably level the Northern Quarter."

"Forget that. Try the entire city if everyone is putting out at 100%." Her frown returned. "You're right. Corinth wouldn't have anything to gain from us attacking first." She glanced up at hi and could almost see the gears turning behind his hard brown eyes. "You've got something, don't you?"

"Maybe," Floyd said. "Let me sit on it for a little while." His smile returned. "And it looks like we might be out of time to discuss it anyways." He pointed and Tabby followed his finger. Nestled between the trees and absolutely covered with snow that had blown in was indeed the remains of their car, the black paint and body still showing through some of the gaps. Tabby watched as Ren broke away from Blitz and joined Floyd at his side as he looked upon it like it was an old friend. "Ah, jeez, girl. What happened to you?"

"It…it doesn't look so bad," Tabby added, trying to be optimistic. "I've seen, like, way worse crashes in the city because people can't drive and, uh…well, this thing can fly so the fact that you still managed to land it in one piece is impressive!" She looked down at Blitz for his approval, but he merely shook his head and gave her a thumbs-down.

"Thanks Tabby," Floyd said as she stuck her tongue out at her partner. "Looks like the ice has frozen over every surface," he said as he brushed mounds and mounds of snow away. "Hey, Tabby, could you melt through the ice at the base? I think it's frozen to the ground. And…Blitz, I'll need your help, we just need to lift this thing up a bit. Ren, you get inside and try the ignition once we've got her cleared."

Tabby knelt down at the base of the ruined car and shot more fire from her hands, the snow melting and turning to puddles on the ground. Once enough had been cleared around the driver-side door and some of the wheels, she heard Floyd and Blitz grunting at the car's back. With much shouting of more instructions, a lot more grunting and the sound of shifting metal, the car was picked up off the ground from its back-wheels, and on Ren's shifting into neutral, moved forward a few more feet, breaking the rest of the ice confining it to the ground.

"Cool," Floyd said, dusting off his hands. To Tabby's amusement, Blitz began mimicking all of his motions, placing his hands on his hips just like Floyd even though there was no way he was tired. "Ren, fire it up!"

Floyd joined Tabby as they watched the car vibrate a little. A sound like a dying Weezing sputtered from what was presumably the engine, and black smoke leaked out from under the hood. Floyd swore and stepped around to the front, waving through the windshield. "Well. At least we know it _can_ work."

"Ren knows how to drive this thing?" Tabby asked, running her hand along the car.

"She helped build it," Floyd said, lifting the dented hood. Like the rest of the car, it was in bad shape, but still discernible from the rest of the wreck. "Ren's a pretty smart Pokemon. Though, ah…" He wrenched a piece of metal out from the engine. "Not nearly as smart as I am." The Absol stuck her head out of the remains of the driver's window and blew Floyd a raspberry, getting a laugh out of Tabby and Blitz. "Alright, try it again."

The engine tried once again to come to life, but there was only more choking and sputtering of the guts of the thing.

"Anything we can help with?" Tabby asked.

"Well the car is half-and-half, see," Floyd explained. "It runs on fuel and on electricity. The battery is either dead or shot—probably both—and it's trying to go right to the actual engine that runs on fuel…which is also busted."

"So you need to charge the battery then?"

"Yeah, but there aren't any cars around here, and I doubt there are Pokemon up here in Snowpoint that are Electric types."

Tabby grinned. "Not to worry, my friend. You've got all the Electric type you need right her!" She pounded her chest with her fist.

Floyd arched an eyebrow. "You can make electricity?"

"Yup yup! Just gotta imagine it and poof, there it is!" She scratched the back of her head nervously. "Though, ah, I'm way better at Fire than I am anything else."

"About that," Floyd said. "I've heard everything about magic and I watched you make some fire earlier, but that's about it. How does it work?"

"Oh I'm so glad you asked," Tabby said. "Think of it like this: there are 18 types of Pokemon. Blitz here is a Fire and Fighting type, so he'll use Fire and Fighting moves. What humans learned was that Pokemon actually draw upon the natural energy that Arceus stored in the Earth, the entire universe even. Since all Pokemon used to be Mew millions of years ago, they evolved into the species they are now based on the different types of energy they drew on the most to better use it. By drawing on that natural energy, humans can basically use stronger, more complex versions of those Type moves."

Floyd looked puzzled. "So, that big barrage of fire that Blitz used yesterday…"

"I can do that too," Tabby said. "Well…in theory, anyways. I'm not as good as I'd like to be. But I can definitely defend myself, and I can use most of the 18 types."

Floyd thought on that for a second. "So let's say I wanted you to make a…a Thunderbolt that could kickstart this engine. Could you?" Tabby nodded fervently, eager to prove herself. "Okay…if you think you can, then I'll trust you. Do you need anything from us?"

"Just for you to be quiet so I can concentrate a moment," Tabby said. She shut her eyes and bowed her head, focusing on the snow beneath her feet, the ground beneath that snow. She felt the energy she had relied on so often in the past years rushing to her beck and call, and tried to picture a Pokemon using the energy like she wanted to. Magnemite…Magnemite used electricity as easily as she took a breath. It wasn't even something as strong as a Thunderbolt either. Maybe something smaller like…like…

"A Shock Wave," Tabby murmured.

Her fingers tingled, every nerve was dialed to eleven, and a fierce, sparking yellow light shot from every pore on her body and completely drowned out the white landscape. When the light settled and Tabby could see again, she felt more power humming deep inside her core…like the faint power one could feel radiating off of any Electric type Pokemon. Blitz and Floyd still stood where they had been before, gaping at her as she flexed her fingers. "Where do you need me?"

Floyd closed his mouth and lead her over to a spot under the hood where a strange white cylinder lay completely dark outside of a sheath. Tabby brandished her right forefinger and middle finger, dragging them around in midair. Yellow sparks began curling on the outside of her gloves, buzzed to the front of her fingertips, and leapt to the battery as Tabby shouted. There was a small boom of thunder and a sizzling sound as the electricity made contact and began swirling in the battery.

"Ren, fire it up!" Floyd said quickly. The car shook as Ren presumably did something and…

"We're hot!" Ren shouted. "We're…we're LIVE! She did it!"

Everyone began cheering, jumping up and down as Ren flicked on the headlights, damaged as they were. Blitz celebrated by rolling around in the snow and throwing it up in the air to create powder, while Tabby and Floyd leapt into a hug.

"Alright," Floyd said as they pulled apart. "Hopefully this'll give us enough juice to get us back to Snowpoint. Get in and let's get out of here." Tabby and Blitz both hopped into the back, sweeping away some of the debris that had fallen into the backseat out on to the ground, and strapped in. "Everyone ready?"

"Yep!"

"Infernape!"

"Cool. Ren, takeoff procedures." There was much clicking and a lot of instructions that Floyd gave, Ren following dutifully, and…

And…

Tabby blinked, looking at Blitz. "Hey, did you…did you notice another voice? When the car came online?"

Blitz blinked, looking almost as confused as she felt. "In…Infernape?"

"Hey, Floyd? Quick question."

"Yeah?"

"Can…can Ren talk?"

The two stopped messing with the controls up front and looked at each other worriedly. Tabby waited…and waited…maybe she was just going crazy or—

"Ah, shit. I guess I did shout, didn't I?" Ren said at last. She sighed and then shrugged. "Oh well. Silly me."

Both Tabby and Blitz' jaws hit the floor.

"Look, it is…a long, long story," Floyd said. "One that I promise I will share as soon as I'm sure we can actually move." He looked back to his partner. "Ready for liftoff?"

"Right, Boss." She flipped another switch and stared intently at a gauge. "On your mark."

"Aerial liftoff in five, four, three, two," he pointed at her while looking at a screen on the center console, "punch it!"

There was a rumbling outside of the car and, all astonishment forgotten, Tabby and Blitz both leaned towards the cracked and broken windows to watch from the inside. She'd never been in a plane before, much less in a flying car, but she was more than willing to experience it today. She watched as mounds of snow started to blow away from the car in waves, they were beginning to ever so slowly rise off the ground and…

And then…something happened. There was a high-pitched whining and then they hit the ground unceremoniously, the impact jolting them all even though they'd only been a few inches or so off the ground. The whining continued, fading off in pitch and in sound as Floyd's head slowly hit the back of his headrest.

"Fuck," Ren said.

"Yeah, that about sums it up," Floyd said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"What happened?" Tabby asked.

"The car took a hell of a beating on our way in here, and it probably doesn't help that just about everything is in various states of broken," Ren said. "Boss, we're not flying anywhere."

"I got that, thanks," Floyd said. "Well. I guess we're going the old-fashioned way then."

"Is she gonna make it up the hill? And…back to Snowpoint?"

"Ye of little faith," Floyd replied. He put the car into drive, and slowly but surely, they began to move again, tires crunching along the snow.

"Oi, Hermione Granger," Ren called, not taking her eyes off of the display. "You might wanna use some of that fire magic to keep warm, with the hole in the roof and the windows and all."

A large glob of snow fell through the roof and smacked Tabby in the face.

"Yeah," Tabby said, with her eyes closed. "You're probably right."

**###**

"Ma'am! There's a vehicle approaching the walls!" a voice rang through the intercom.

Olivier and some of her trusted attendants got up from the guard barracks near the southern gate. It had taken more time than she'd liked, but eventually there were at least two of the men she'd questioned that could verify seeing the stranger come through the gate with Tabitha, their passage deemed safe thanks to Nerevor's untimely appearances. That was one thing she couldn't fault them on; Nerevor was absolutely not to be trifled with lightly.

She stepped out into the cold wind, drawing her coat around her body tightly. She looked up at the sky and saw the clouds rolling in over the horizon.

There was a storm coming.

"Greetings, ma'am!" one of the guards said with a salute as she climbed the stairs to the top of the gate. "It's just down the road, and—"

"Did you see who was in it?" Olivier interrupted.

"Er, no ma'am," the guard said. "The windows are too dark."

Olivier's hands tightened into fists. "Is there anyone else with them? Any more cars or other vehicles following behind?"

The guard shook his head. "Um…what would you like us to do, ma'am?"

Her mouth a thin line, she glared further down the horizon. Sure enough, the vehicle was there, a black speck slowly getting bigger as it approached.

There was no way that the man was some kind of soldier, right? Not a government official, certainly not. If there was a problem in the city where magic was rampant, the League wouldn't send one person by themselves. That was asking for a death sentence. But then again, Tabitha had apparently been venturing further and further outside the walls, and that fool Jonas kept letting her back in after dark, if only to try and sleep with her. What if she _had_ gotten word to the League?

What if that was who was with her now?

"Let them in, but stop them once they're inside the walls," Olivier said.

The guard nodded and started shouting commands to his coworkers, while Olivier's fists tightened further still.

**###**

"Oh boy," Ren said. "Looks like we're expected."

Tabby extinguished her fire and leaned between the driver and passenger seat to peer through the windshield. "The gate's open?"

"Wide open," Floyd said, not taking his eyes off the road. "Do they always open it up to visitors?"

"Well, visitors are allowed, but…they usually don't actually let you _inside_ the gates until you present proper ID and stuff." She frowned, looking up at the ramparts. "So I don't know why…" Her voice trailed off.

Her blood went cold.

"What?" Ren asked. "What is it?"

"Stop! Stop the car!"

Ren and Floyd both cast bewildered looks at her, but he did as she asked, coming to a halt just feet away from the giant stone-and-wood gate.

"Tabby, what's the matter?" Floyd asked.

She couldn't even think straight…could barely swallow.

Why? Why was _she_ here?

"T-the woman…" Tabby sputtered.

She was staring at a tall woman in her mid-forties. Her brown hair was much like Tabby's, long and lush, peppered with snowflakes. Her face was angular and cold…calculating. A face that could just as easily send hundreds of men to the execution chamber while also lying straight to the Pokemon League about affairs in Snowpoint, how golden and grand they all were. Her hands were clasped behind her back, a dark gray coat swaying in the wind, some of it revealing the odd black and white uniform she often wore in public. Floyd probably had no idea what that uniform implied, but Tabby knew full well what it was a symbol for. And those eyes…eyes like the coming storm, as cold as the bitterest of Snowpoint winter nights.

They were staring right down at them, and Tabby found herself paralyzed with fear.

**###**

"There ya go!" Zero cheered, leading on some of the young trainers in practice. They ranged from ages 8 to 12, and had already practiced magic for the day. Zero understood absolutely none of it, but what he did understand was Pokemon battling. One day, they'd make fine Gym Trainers…just so long as they didn't just use Powder Snow for every battle.

"Mr. Zero, it's gonna storm!" one of the trainers yelled, cuddling her Glaceon.

"Huh?" Zero frowned and turned, looking up at the darkening sky above the Sanctuary courtyard.

It wasn't supposed to storm today at all.

**###**

"They're issuing a Storm Warning on the news," Griffin said, glancing out at the sky from his post. "The clouds rolled in out of nowhere."

"Wonder where it's coming from," Corinth said as he too glanced at the sky.

Across the street, more and more people noticed the gray, almost-black clouds forming over the entirety of the city.

**###**

"You feel it too, don't you?" Vanessa asked in Nerevor's quarters. The two of them gazed out the window at the darkening sky, the clouds seemingly boiling overhead.

"Yes," Nerevor said, his voice strained. "It seems…it seems that the time truly has fallen upon us." He looked to his right. "Kazam…are you absolutely sure, my friend?"

"Alakazam," he said with a nod.

"Why is this a problem?" Vanessa asked. "This means…this means there really is a chance to get our city back, to get revenge for all of the people—"

"I understand, Vanessa," Nerevor said.

She was surprised to see the old man's composure slipping, watched a line of sweat trickle down his jaw.

"Kazam and I have peered and peered into the future, something winding and everchanging." He closed his eyes. "There is a reason that Arceus only entrusted that power to Palkia itself, and not to mortals like us."

**###**

" _I fear…"_

Floyd pulled the car through the gate and came to a halt as per the guard's instructions. Immediately after, everyone inside was ordered to step out of the car and stand with their hands above their heads. Tabby was cuffed with two pairs of Magnemite on each limb, threatening electric shocks if she misbehaved. As she tried to placate Blitz and assure him it was alright, the woman she had been talking about stepped off the ramparts and in front of them.

" _I fear that if the events we have seen are coming to pass…"_

The woman didn't smile, just let her eyes roam over Floyd's body. "Greetings. I see you've had the pleasure of meeting Tabitha and some of the other…locals." Her head tilted to the side as she examined him. "It seems that we may have much to discuss."

"Leave Tabby out of this," Floyd said, not bothering to hide the scowl on his face. "She's done nothing wrong. Who are you, anyway?"

The woman gave him a smile, but there was nothing kind or humorous behind the gesture. "My name is Olivier…and you, stranger, would be wise to watch your tongue in _my_ city."

"… _then the coming_ conflict will _be the least of our worries."_

**A/N: Really happy with how this chapter turned out even though it got rewritten a ton before I was ready to put it out. How are you guys liking the story so far? Too much? Too little? Intrigued? Bored? Let me know in a review. Thanks in advance, and see you guys next chapter.**


	9. Chapter 7: Potential

**Chapter 7: Potential**

The buzz and release of the magnetic lock on the interrogation room door interrupted Floyd's quiet musings and made him open his eyes. He'd been waiting in the room alone for…thirty minutes? Maybe even an hour. It was a ridiculously long time, but he knew it was only to test his patience. It was likely that on the other side of the black glass there had been people watching him the entire time. Regardless, he kept his expression neutral as his interrogator stepped into the room and sat down opposite him alongside the metal table. All he carried on him was a clipboard with an official-looking file on it, his haggard stature, bleary eyes and overall disheveledness pointing to a man who was only in it because he needed a job.

"Name?" he asked bluntly.

"Floyd. F-L-O-Y-D."

He nodded as he wrote it down. "Are you a resident of Sinnoh?"

"No."

"Are you registered with the Trainer ID system?"

"Yes."

"ID number?"

"12924."

He pulled out a phone and made a big deal of typing in the numbers slowly. "Nothing here," he said after the screen flashed red and beeped. "Do you know if your Trainer ID has expired?"

In truth, it probably wasn't showing up because his Trainer Card was created in a different universe, so Floyd doubted it would transfer across. "Maybe. I haven't been to a Pokemon Center for a renewal in a while."

"We'll get you set up with one." He sniffed. "Can you state your business in Snowpoint?"

"My Absol and I were traveling together when a Pokemon attacked us and crashed our car pretty bad. We were going into the forest to retrieve it, fix it, and then to rest before we take off."

The man leaned back in his chair. "So why didn't you come to the central building for help?"

"I didn't have much of a choice. Tabby saved my life, and the people at the Sanctuary nursed my me and my Absol back to health."

The man chewed on the end of his pen for a minute, staring into Floyd's eyes before leaning back towards the table, his chair legs thumping against the ground. "Alright, so let's say we believe your story. Mind explaining how you were able to beat Tabby's Infernape with your Absol?" Floyd's eyes narrowed slightly, but the man kept speaking. "I mean, after all, you had type-disadvantage for one. And…Tabby is an exceptionally strong trainer. We've been watching her progress for a long time, and that Infernape of hers has apparently been with her since she was a kid. So how was it that you, stranger, managed to beat her in one-on-one combat?"

"My Absol is a strong Pokemon," Floyd replied. "And type-disadvantage only matters if you don't have anything to hit the opponent with…or if you're too slow. Ren was neither."

The man smiled, but there was nothing behind the gesture. "Fair enough. Next, I—"

"How did you know?"

His smile faded. "What?"

"How did you know that we beat Tabby in a battle?"

"We heard tell of it on the streets," he said with a wave of his hand. "Frankly, you—"

"Really? All the way from the Northern Quarter?" The man went silent, a nerve twitching near his jaw. "From what I've heard, the North and South don't like each other very much. Do you have informants up there somewhere? Someone spying on her? Spying on me?"

"No one is spying on you, stranger," the man said after a moment's silence, regaining his arrogant demeanor. "We have our ways of gathering information to keep the city safe, and anyone who can Mega Evolve their Pokemon has to treated with a little extra…precaution."

"Of course," Floyd said. "My mistake. Though…it is strange how you mentioned Mega Evolving. I don't remember mentioning that before now."

The man opened his mouth, trying to make words come out but only succeeding in looking like a gaping fish.

There were three loud raps on the window behind his interrogator, and the man looked back fearfully.

"That's probably for you," Floyd remarked.

The man's head whipped around angrily to face him, and for a moment, Floyd actually wondered if he was going to strike him. Then he sagged, fear crossing his expression once more, and he left almost as quickly as he'd come. After five minutes, no one had come back into the room, and Floyd bowed his head once more, lapsing into his familiar silence. Hopefully Tabby was somewhat better off.

**###**

"Can you guys take these stupid Magnemite off me?" Tabby pleaded for the fifth time. "Seriously, what good is it to have me in Pokemon cuffs? If I wanted to bust out of here, don't you think I'd know some magic that would, oh, I don't know, nullify electricty?"

"Hey, stop talking!" one of the guards watching her cell shouted back. He peered into the cell for a moment to make sure she was still behaving, then removed himself to watch stupid videos with his friend who was also on duty.

Tabby huffed and blew a strand of hair out of her face, looking down at her living cuffs. "You guys are annoying."

"Magnemite," the cuffs droned angrily.

A slight shock powerful enough to make Tabby jump off the bench traveled through her, only angering her more. The reckless, impulsive, 18-year old version of her probably would have tried to melt the Magnemite by now…and then gotten herself shot in the process. No, all she could do was wait…and hope that the Magnemite found themselves in a dark alley where Blitz could twist them into things she wanted to wear, like a necklace or a ring.

"Magnezone," a deep voice droned from down the hall. Outside of her cell, the two guards scrambled to attention at the sight of the Pokemon and someone else unseen. Tabby stood up from the bench and peered out of the bars, only to come face to face with…

"Oh, brilliant," Tabby muttered, backing away. "What do you want, Jonas?"

His face was twisted in anger, his eyes bloodshot but seemingly from rage instead of drunkenness. "You're coming with me to interrogation. Now!"

"Magnezone," the Magnezone at his side growled, electricity arcing between its magnet-hands.

She wasn't in much a position to argue, and was in even less of a position to back-talk. "Yeah, sure, whatever."

Jonas led Tabby through the building and to another small room with a metal everything, likely for Magnezone's sake. It stuck around outside the door, and even through it, Tabby could still hear the faint buzz of electricity running through the Pokemon. With a sigh, Tabby took a seat in a chair while Jonas stood, glaring at her from the corner.

"What?" Tabby asked after a minute of the behavior? "You wanted to talk to me, remember? So let's skip the—"

"How much does he know?"

That caught her off guard. "What?"

"Your boyfriend in the other room over there," he said with a nod. "How much does he know?"

"…about what exactly?"

"Snowpoint. The two sides, everything! How much did have your people told him?"

"Oh, that. You should've been clear from the beginning." Tabby frowned. "How many important people are watching behind that glass?"

She took Jonas' boiling silence as quite a lot.

"Cool. Look, Jonas, you didn't do your job. That's fine. It's just, well, Floyd is a passerby, okay? An…unusual passerby, sure, but he's not staying in town." She rolled her eyes and leaned back in the chair, the cuffs humming at her movement. "If I was going to spill all of Sanctuary's juiciest secrets, don't you think it would've been with, I don't know, a League official and not a cute guy who I found in the woods?"

The words made Tabby want to roll her eyes out of her skull, but she needed to play it up for Jonas' dimwitted sake. And surprisingly, whether it was due to his moody state or because he needed a good look for his bosses, he seemed to relax a little. "Heh. That sounds like you mages. Always wanting to use someone else to gain something, eh? Never would've figured you to sleep around though. Did you charm him? Tell him you'd give him some magical power if he'd spend a night or two with you?" He sneered. "Can't imagine how you'd manage it otherwise. Don't have much going on up top or on the bottom, do we?"

"For someone who doesn't have anything 'going on', you sure have been paying attention," Tabby snapped back. "And no, I didn't charm him or whatever. I just promised him I'd help him get his car into the city, that's all."

"Oh, but I like this," Jonas said, swooping in front of her. "So you're admitting that you helped someone who wasn't checked in to the city properly upon arrival?" He tsked. "You've been a bad girl, Tabby. Bad enough to finally get that smart mouth of yours behind bars for a while, eh?"

Tabby scowled. There wasn't a prison for miles that could hold her, she was sure of that. And even if there was, Nerevor would come looking for her, and a prison break would be the least of Snowpoint's problems. But she didn't really want to go to jail, and she also wanted to make sure Floyd was okay. Hopefully he knew how to keep his cool like usual. She'd only known him for a few days, but he was decent company, and she didn't want his death on her conscience.

As Tabby opened her mouth to speak, the interrogation room door opened. "That is quite enough, Jonas. I will handle it from here."

Tabby tried her absolute hardest to swallow back the lump of fear that crowded her throat as Olivier herself walked into the room. Her presence demanded Tabby's attention as much as it terrified her, those eyes of hers narrowed into slits like an Ekans. "Did I stutter, Jonas? Leave us."

Jonas stood up and bowed awkwardly, all but rushing from the room and leaving Tabby with the witch herself. She didn't dare smart off to her; that was a fantastic way to disappear so well that Nerevor wouldn't be able to find her.

By the time he did, she'd be dead anyway.

Olivier stood there staring at her, eyes boring into Tabby's soul. What was she doing? She was standing so still that if not for the rise and fall of her chest, she could have been a statue.

"You're so young," Olivier said at last.

"Sorry?" Tabby asked.

Olivier sighed and sat down. "Your face. Your hair. Your…energy. I'm losing it all. Becoming…old." She closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them as she started back up again. "I used to have your spirit once upon a time. I used to dream and dream about doing anything that I wanted. I was alive to see Team Galactic roll over Sinnoh, and I saw hundreds, no, thousands killed in bloody conquests." She was staring at the wall as she talked, but she slowly turned to face Tabby directly. "I used to be like you, Tabitha. Or…Tabby, yes? You and I used to be one in the same."

"I'm nothing like you," Tabby replied, trying to keep the quiver out of her voice. "If we were anything alike, you would have stood up for the magical community instead of fostering so much hate and aggression. Y-your inaction is what's going to cause this stupid war!"

Olivier arched an eyebrow and Tabby immediately fell silent, fear rolling up and down every nerve of her body. "My inaction?" she mused. "Hm." Her fingers drummed against the table as she lapsed into thought. "True. In a way, I suppose you could say I am the reason the two sides are divided. But have you considered that I am merely…a catalyst?" There was a question dancing in Olivier's eyes that Tabby had no answer to, so she kept speaking. "Consider this; I never come to Snowpoint. In fact, remove me from the equation entirely. Snowpoint is not divided into quarters by law, but by community instead. All it takes is a little push," she tapped one finger on the table, "and suddenly, Snowpoint goes to war among itself anyways. And who is to blame then? Do you blame Team Galactic for making mortal men fear magicians? Do you blame the Pokemon from where you draw your inspiration? Or do you blame Arceus for even cursing humanity with the power to begin with?"

"I don't see how—"

"You see, Tabby, my inaction is what is keeping this sham of a city together…for now, anyways," Olivier said. "My very presence instills loyalty, and, although I would prefer otherwise, fear. The animals in the Southern Quarter do not simply throw themselves at Sanctuary's front gate because they fear offending me. The Northern Quarter squatters do not throw the first punch because you all fear my influence with the League and ties to government." She leaned forward. "You see, I have a duty, Tabby. My duty is to keep Snowpoint on its feet until nature dictates it should be torn down brick by brick and remade again. You can throw the blame around all you'd like, but each time you do, I'd like you to remember this conversation, and remember how awful it feels to know that a tiny bit of my little speech was truthful." She leaned back and nodded. "Now. What say you?"

Eyes downcast, Tabby could say nothing, and it seemed that was enough for Olivier.

"Good. I'm pleased we're on the same page. Now for our next course of action, we need to clear up this mess you've gotten us into." She tapped her lips thoughtfully. "Where on Earth did you find this one, hm? The woods, obviously, but where did he come from? That Absol's power…and not to mention the power he himself has stored away…"

That shocked Tabby enough to break her silence. "What? Stored away?"

"Oh, but…but you had no idea?" Olivier asked, and she actually looked surprised. "You're one of Nerevor's best and brightest, I assumed that was why you were keeping him around. Regardless, yes, your new friend has quite the well of power sealed away. I would imagine he is one of the adventuring sort who took quite a few wrong turns to end up so far north, and was so damaged or is so cautious that he is hiding it away at the moment." Olivier shook her head. "I knew though. The instant I saw him step out of that wreck of a car, I knew. There are only two people I know of as of right now who can meet my gaze and keep themselves relatively calm: Nerevor…and this newcomer, Floyd." She shook her head. "This simply won't do. I can't have all of these powerful people running amok in the city. Otherwise, some that are more radical than most may start getting…ideas." She put venom on that last part and took a deep breath. "So. You are going to accompany me and I am going to re-check your Power Multiplier value. Then I will threaten your life and force Floyd to display to us all of his strength. If I think for even a second that he is lying, I will kill you. Plain and simple."

A cold fist closed around Tabby's heart. "That sounds like a bluff to me," Tabby said.

Onyx stared into green. "Is that a fact?" Olivier murmured softly. "I suppose we'll have to go and see, won't we? Do you truly think that dying a martyr is enough to scare me into sparing you if need be? I can very much handle a war in Snowpoint, Tabby. Pray that you do not have to see how." She stood. "Come."

With no choice but to follow, Tabby and Olivier set off down the hall.

**###**

The door opened once more and Floyd opened eyes, met with the sight of Olivier standing in the doorframe. Behind her was Tabby, who looked to be a little pale and more than a little scared.

"Greetings," Olivier said. "As I said, we have much to discuss, but first, we've got to greet our guests properly. If you would, we're going to take a little walk and log you in the system proper."

Floyd said nothing, staring over her shoulder and into Tabby's eyes, studying her body language. Floyd had never seen her this afraid. The threat of death and war hung over her head everyday, but she'd never looked scared, not even at the council meeting yesterday. But here…

Just who was this Olivier person to make her look that way?

"Alright," Floyd said, standing up. "Lead the way."

They got to stepping immediately, taking the stairs as they were escorted by several guards and officers, a squadron of Magnemite, and a Magnezone that floated from behind. Luckily Tabby was squeezed next to him, allowing Floyd to talk to her. "Are you okay?"

Tabby nodded, her mouth a tight line. "I'm fine. W-what about you?"

"I've been through worse," Floyd said, scowling at the front of the line where Olivier led the way. "Much worse. We'll be okay."

"Floyd…" Tabby said, her voice barely a murmur. "What they're going to ask you to do…you can't do it. If…if you're hiding something it has to be for a good reason, right? So…when she—"

"Maaagnemiiite," the Pokemon on Tabby's wrists warned, their magnets flickering with electricity.

"I would listen to them if I were you, girl," the man from earlier called back. "No more talking, either of you!"

Tabby fell silent, but the frown never left Floyd's face.

They finished their decent, now somewhat below the building they'd been in before, and in a laboratory of sorts. It looked almost like a doctor's office, complete with waiting patients who flipped through stale magazines, the blare of the phone, horrid potted plants, and other things. Everyone in the room, however, stopped what they were doing as the escort passed through and stopped at the main desk, where a receptionist began quaking when Olivier stepped forward. "Is the Magical Testing Room available?"

"Uhm…y-yes, my lady!" he stammered. "W-would you like me to escort you there?"

"No need," Olivier said. "Carry on about your business."

For some reason, Floyd couldn't help but stare at the receptionist as they passed. There was real fear on his face, a line of sweat on his forehead…and the whole conversation had lasted maybe a second? No one got that worked up so quickly, even if they were talking to the most powerful woman in Snowpoint. It was almost unnatural how the man reacted, and what made it worse was how quickly he changed back to normal as soon as Olivier rounded the corner. He and Tabby were just far enough back that Floyd could glance behind him and see the receptionist, calmly going over his work as though nothing had happened.

He took another side glance at Tabby, who still seemed to be a ticking time bomb of nervousness and pressed forward.

Their destination was an observation room that looked onto something that looked eerily like an execution chamber. It was much bigger than one though, a large cylindrical tube that was big enough for at least four people to stand side-to-side in. It spanned all the way up to the ceiling and was connected to the room through the maze of pipes and wires that ran behind the walls and into the large display of computers and machinery in the observation room.

"Tabby, I believe you're familiar with the procedure," Olivier said. "If you would be so kind as to demonstrate."

She and Floyd shared one last look before she stepped forward, edging away from the woman and her guards to step into the other room. The door locked like it was an airtight seal, and Floyd could hear nothing from the other room until one of the guards sat down at the computer and pressed a few buttons. Everything came up magnified or enhanced; the view inside the other room, the view inside the chamber, the sounds.

"As I'm sure you're wondering, this is the Magical Testing Center," Olivier said, not looking at Floyd as she watched Tabby enter the large tube. "Every time a baby is born, it is recorded in the Snowpoint Census and cross-referenced with known magical persons in the city. If the baby has potential to inherit magical abilities, it is brought here to provide an estimate of its power. The same goes for any who practice magic in their later years or of those with exceptional supernatural abilities. By comparing them to the average human who possesses none of those traits, we can get a shockingly-accurate representation of the subject's strength."

"And what do you do with that information?" Floyd asked, folding his arms.

Olivier smiled, still not turning around. "We act appropriately." She nodded to the guard at the desk. "Give her the signal."

A green light flashed on one of the screens and Tabby presumably saw it too. Floyd watched as her face relaxed and then tensed, her chocolate-brown hair flitting before her face as she concentrated, the pads of her fingers pressed together tightly. A low rumbling began to shake the camera on the inside of the tube that was focused on her face, and on one of the many screens, Floyd watched a number begin to rise through what looked like a leaderboard.

"Power is accelerating, ma'am," one of the guards said. "She's broken her previous multiplier, 75 times."

The camera on Tabby continued to vibrate, even more violently so when Tabby opened her eyes. The deep green of her irises had been replaced by a fiery, snarling orange, something like rage gripping her features. She'd mentioned that she was better with Fire than any other type, and it seemed that applied to her manifestation of power as well. Tremors began to shake the observation room, now not limited to the testing chamber, and the lights began to flicker as Tabby's raw power pushed to surface. Flickers of lighting, gouts of fire, frost forming on the glass of the container. Her breath steamed and spit fire, then inhaled air cold enough to crack stone. Air pulsed and thrummed against the tube's edge, violent, unseen energy pulsating and shoving at the confines she was locked in, yearning to break free from its prison. A vibrating tremor jolted through the floor, a horizontal slash of energy rippling outwards and rolling up the glass.

The guard at the computer swallowed, beginning to shout as the rumbling grew louder and more violent. "100 times—no, 120 times, 125 times!" He pushed back from the computer a little as Tabby began to hunch over, her voice leaving her lips in a shout as she clenched her fists. "Leveling out at 130 times! Holding for 5…4…3…2…she's done, ma'am! Final multiplier, 130 times stronger than…than average." He fumbled for a big red button which flashed a bright red light, signaling the end of the test.

Floyd glanced at Olivier, who was not happy in the slightest. The arrogant smile she'd worn while explaining the test had completely faded, replaced by the thinnest of lines one could make with their mouth. "He's been busy," Olivier muttered mostly to herself.

The pod opened and a rush of steam and smoke billowed forth into the air and onto the floor, Tabby stumbling out a moment later. Not a soul moved to help the woman as she nearly fell on her face, her muscles trembling from the effort she'd just put out.

"Ma'am…this multiplier puts her on par with the powers of Hoopa's bound form, according to the—"

"No matter," Olivier snapped, a touch of anger behind her voice. "Regardless of how strong she was in that chamber, that is a maximum, not a consistent value. She would be able to fire off an attack similar to that once before collapsing of exhaustion…as she is now."

Tabby wasn't moving on the floor.

Floyd grit his teeth and started forward, but not before the clicks of five weapons rang in his ears.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Mr. Floyd," Olivier warned. "Jonas, go out there and retrieve her. And do be gentle. She has done as we've asked, after all."

The man with the red-ringed eyes scowled but did as Olivier asked, lugging Tabby's unconscious form into the observation room and placing her onto a chair.

"Well done," Olivier said. "Now, as we discussed…"

She waved a hand and Jonas drew out a pistol and pressed it to Tabby's forehead. Immediately, Floyd took a step forward, but Olivier of all people blocked his path, though the shift of all of her guards helped too. "Ah, ah, Mr. Floyd. Tabby will not be harmed…not unless, of course, you are going to lie to me. And you aren't going to lie to me, are you?"

A muscle went in his jaw, but Floyd slowly shook his head, keeping his eyes trained on Jonas' hand. At the slightest hint of movement…

"I merely have Tabby at gunpoint so we'll all be honest with each other, hm? You're going to enter that chamber and show off that power you've been suppressing, and if you're a good boy, Tabby leaves the center with her brains in working order." Her hard eyes bored into his. "Are we clear?"

He didn't much like leaving Tabby alone at the mercy of Jonas or Olivier, but he had no choice. "Crystal."

"Wonderful," Olivier said. "Let's get this over with then, shall we?"

**###**

Tabby swam back to consciousness, her head as foggy as the deep sea. She blinked a few times and tried to straighten up to push her hair out of her eyes, only to find she was still cuffed with Magnemite. She nearly swore before her mind caught up with time and she realized just how much danger she was in.

"No," she muttered in horror. She turned her head to the right, and sure enough, Floyd was nowhere to be found. The rest of Olivier's guards were watching the other room intently, even Jonas, who still had his hand on his gun holster.

"Welcome back," Olivier said without turning around. "You're just in time to watch the show. Give him the command."

Tabby struggled to her feet as the light flashed green in the other room. Floyd was standing in the pod, his black long coat still wrapped tight around his winter clothes as he took deep breaths.

"Ma'am, are you sure about this?" Jonas asked hesitantly. "He…he looks scarier than most folk that pass through here but…"

"I am as sure about this as I am about anything," Olivier responded. "Do not worry, any of you. I can't imagine his multiplier reaching any higher than 90 times the average."

That didn't sound good. If Floyd went any higher than that…what would they do? If he really was a wizard, there was a small chance that they could fight their way out, at least to the first floor. Getting to Sanctuary though…and not to mention grabbing their Pokemon too?

Tabby swallowed and said a brief prayer to Arceus in her head.

Floyd's brown eyes opened, intense and ready. "Full power," he said. A few of the guards chuckled, and Olivier smirked.

With a grunt of exertion, Floyd brought his arms to his side, then quickly crossed them in front of his chest, his feet planted shoulder-width apart. With another grunt, a sound like a gun going off rang through the chamber and a furious white aura enveloped him faster than Tabby could blink. The guard manning the computer chuckled one more time and started the scanner, watching the screen intently.

A growl rumbled from Floyd's throat as his body stood as rigid as when he had started. He didn't shake or waver as he began channeling power, that growl still in the back of his throat as he stared through the glass with a look that could kill if it could. His coat billowed at its sides, blowing back behind his legs, the sides exposing the thick black shirt he wore. At the center of his chest…it was glowing? It was almost like when Ren had Mega-Evolved, how the energy seemed to be coming from whatever was under his shirt than a Mega Ring.

That didn't really make much of a difference though.

No, what Tabby was worried about was that rather large number that was growing on the main screen.

The screen still had the results of the last test, hers, displayed. At 125 times the average, Tabby was without a doubt in the top five in terms of magical strength in Snowpoint.

She would have been top three if not for Floyd.

Jonas let out a long squawk of surprise as he and his friends gawked at the screen. "195 times!?"

Floyd crossed 200, and as soon as he did so, the tremors started. Tremors so strong they should've brought down the roof. No device in the city was going to contain that kind of strength, and the tube certainly didn't. Sheer power washed over the entire group in waves, and as one the staff stood up. The floor and walls began vibrating so much that Tabby was sure they were in an earthquake, the vibrations shaking the foundations and resonating in Tabby's very core.

Floyd got brighter.

"210 TIMES, 220 TIMES!" Jonas shouted over the roar of Floyd's strength. "230…270…290 TIMES!? THIS… _THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!"_

Goodbye to the reinforced glass, goodbye to the older computers in the room. The glass began to crack and give way at the seams, the old technology simply not equipped to handle strength of such a magnitude. Tabby watched the rapidly updating list as Floyd blew through almost every old record and anomaly in the database, surpassing person after person, Pokemon after Pokemon. First was a Hoopa, then a Jirachi, then a friggin' Victini…

Her parents, their parents, Griffin, Vanessa…no one would have been able to even touch him!

"300 TIMES AVERAGE!?" Jonas shouted, gripping the sides of the computer desk for dear life as the tremors threatened to send everyone tumbling to the ground. He let out a squeak of terror as the remaining guards broke and made a run for it, shoving past Tabby to get the hell out of there. Only Tabby, Olivier, and Jonas remained, as the Magnemite took off too, screaming in their buzzy voices. "NO…350! S-STILL RISING FAST! THAT'S NOT A HUMAN! WHAT THE HELL IS HE?"

Floyd's voice had risen to a shout, and his arms had fallen from his chest to stay drawn close to his sides. His brown eyes—no, his _white_ eyes, his glowing white eyes were still focused on them as though he was going to break out of that chamber and attack Olivier himself. That spot on his chest…it wasn't just a circle, it was some sort of sun, the same emblem on that armor she'd seen when she'd rescued him a few days ago.

Dust began raining from the ceiling, and it was quickly becoming clear that it was unsafe to be anywhere near Floyd at the moment. But she along with Olivier and Jonas stood rooted with fear and, for Tabby, pure amazement.

The board swore up and down that the numbers were correct, that the system was operating well (though not for long), and that every record that Floyd was surpassing was indeed correct and still in the system.

According to those same logs, Nerevor was the only person in Snowpoint's entire magical history to clock in at about 700 times the power of an average human, his record nearly crossing a bright red line labeled "Legendaries".

There was no way Floyd knew that, but by Arceus was he pushing it. _Far._

Tabby's jaw hit the ground as Floyd crossed 425 and kept on climbing, the small flicker of hope inside of her exploding into a roaring wildfire.

**A/N: Oh, yeah, it's all coming together. As a clarification, I'm separating Mythicals from Legendaries in this story for obvious reasons. The Legendary Pokemon won't get multiplier values because there's no point, they're not even comparable in power to even the strongest of humans... _hint._ Thanks guys, see you next update.**


	10. Chapter 8: Moving Forward

**Chapter 8: Moving Forward**

Many miles out of the city, to the north and south, Spheal stopped playing on the ocean banks. Walrein glanced up from evening meals. In the forests, packs of Abomasnow stopped moving and had their young assume tree camouflage, as surely with that sudden boost in strength, some kind of predator was on its way. As north as one could go in Snowpoint City, the ancient guardians that remained around Snowpoint Temple flickered to life for a split second and then went silent. They'd only done that once more over the last hundreds of years for the last person to display such overwhelming power. In the Central Quarter there were near-earthquakes, violent tremors that knocked vases off the walls and rattled small children, caused people to pull over and stare in fear at the ground. The Southern Quarter felt it too, though they didn't have it as bad. The Northern Quarter also had some of the tremors, to say nothing of the West and East Quarter. No matter how small the tremors though, everyone felt the waves of pressure depending on how close they were to Central Tower…or how strongly attuned they were to magical forces.

So naturally, when nearly the entire Northern Quarter exploded with questions at once, Nerevor was worried. Very worried.

He walked fast from his quarters, Kazam and Vanessa both at his side. Barely an hour after the storm had completely rolled in to cover Snowpoint's usually-clear skies, and now the entire world felt as though it was going to split apart. Nerevor knew magic, and he knew strength. That kind of power…he hadn't felt that kind of power in almost 30 years, when he himself could continue to push himself to those heights…and beyond.

He had a sneaking suspicion that he already knew who was responsible for it, but he decided not to fan any rumors. He had enough problems already.

Sanctuary's main lobby, the courtyard, the stairs up and down levels, even the front door and the Pokemon Center were all jam-packed with parents worried for their children, worried for themselves, and worried for the future. The older teenaged students swore among themselves that this was it, that the fight was at hand. The more informed adults all discussed among themselves the possibility of war in the future, and though one could hear absolutely nothing over the roar of the massive crowd that had gathered, it did nothing to quell the fast-moving rumors that flitted from person to person.

"It's a madhouse in here," Vanessa said breathlessly, still eyeing the direction that absurd power was coming from. "We need to get them under control before someone does something reckless."

Nerevor nodded. "Attention!" he shouted as loud as he could. It did nothing to even put a dent in all of the loud chatter, and if anything, it got even louder (if such a thing was possible).

Nerevor sighed and Vanessa, having seen this before, stepped back and covered her ears. He called on all of his previous knowledge, and drew within himself the power of the Normal-type, aiming for a rather loud Boomburst.

" _ **ATTENTION!"**_

The chatter stopped at once as the entirety of the crowd stopped shouting over one another and looked to the top of the stairs where Nerevor stood with his arms outstretched over the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are all obviously rather shaken by the recent turn of events, but I must please ask that no one panics and to let us handle the decision making!" He cleared his throat and looked over the crowd. "Students ages 12 and older that have taken residence in Sanctuary for the semester, please make your way to the common areas in your halls or go directly to your rooms at this time! Parents with children under the age of 12, please visit your appropriate instructor to receive your child. Mr. Griffin, if you would be so kind as to get the Abra in working order, the Teleport system will be up and running for any who do not wish to walk home as of late. Security Council, no one is to enter the building without express permission from myself or senior staff! Close all doors! Magical defenses are to be used as necessary!" He let out a deep breath. "I myself am going to investigate the anomaly in Central Tower!" He dropped the Boomburst and turned to Vanessa. "If you would accompany me please. Stand next to me, and do try not to let go."

Her hand wrapped tight around his forearm and they scattered into atoms, flitting about to Central Tower.

**###**

Of all things she didn't expect to see in her lifetime, Tabby was most surprised to see that Olivier, the fearless and fearsome leader of Snowpoint…was scared. Dare she say…terrified?

Though to be honest, Tabby couldn't blame her.

Floyd topped out at a whopping 525 times the average power of a human being. Thick white smoke vomited forth from the containment chamber which had cracked at the glass seams and then fallen apart entirely, the door laying shattered on the ground. In the midst of the wreckage, Floyd stood tall, a white aura reminiscent of flame stirring around his entire body. His eye color was still a glowing white, the harsh light of his aura erasing the lines on his face and making him look even younger than he had twenty minutes ago. Both the observation room and the testing room were completely wrecked, sparks flying from every which way because circuits and computers had overheated and just couldn't keep up with the stress.

"What's wrong?" Floyd asked as he stepped out of the chamber. "You said you wanted to see full power, right?" Another step forwards and this time both Olivier and Jonas took two steps back. "This is it. Everything."

Olivier's face was screwed up with rage, while it seemed to be taking Jonas everything he had not to wet himself. Floyd walked into the observation room, looked them both up and down, nodded, then looked to Tabby. "Are you okay?"

Tabby nodded, almost at a loss for words herself. "Never better. Besides the headache."

Floyd nodded again. "Come on. We're leaving." He glanced at Olivier. "Our Pokemon, please."

Her left eye twitched, but she looked at Jonas. "Take them to Item Release. Give them back their Pokemon immediately, then make sure I never see them again."

Jonas nodded, still not taking his eyes off of Floyd for a second. "F-follow me."

The walk upstairs was brisk and quiet, punctuated only by Jonas' nervous breathing and his frequent glances behind him. Floyd had seemingly powered down, his brown eyes returning to replace the glowing white, the sun under his shirt going dim, and the aura of power around him dissipating. But what didn't go away was the new air that he seemed to bring into the room; confidence, strength like that of the biggest of Machamp…yet it was quiet. He was a landmine; seemingly harmless until enough pressure was applied. Then…poof.

They arrived at Item Return a few minutes later, and Tabby could almost smell the fresh air from the door so close to them. She had been sure that the tremors Floyd had made weren't just felt by them, and it seemed she was right. While Jonas signed them out, the man attending the desk with all of the items locked up glanced at both her and Floyd fearfully from over a clipboard.

"Here," Jonas said, shoving a tray with their personal items and Pokeballs on them. They re-equipped anything forcibly taken from them and nodded, checking with each other. Ren and Blitz sprang from their Pokeballs, frowning inquisitively at their new surroundings. "Car's in the lot, immediately to your right. Now get the hell out of here and don't come back." He walked at a brisk pace away from them and back into the building where, as soon as he rounded the corner, picked it up into a near-sprint.

"Nice guy," Floyd mused.

"You get used to it," Tabby said. "We need to talk, by the way."

Floyd closed his eyes, admitting defeat before they'd even started. "I know. I'll explain on the way back to Sanctuary."

They stepped out of the doors and into the cold of the approaching evening. The streetlamps were beginning to come on, but people were still out and about, likely shaken by the earthquake…or the two people that had appeared out of nowhere in front of Central Tower.

"Nerevor?" Tabby asked.

"Mr. Floyd," Nerevor said, ignoring her. "I believe we need to have another discussion."

"You've got some explaining to do," Vanessa said. "Tabby, step away from him."

"No, no, no," Tabby said, running off the stairs and stepping in front of the two of them. "Floyd is a good guy! He's on our side!"

"Then he won't mind answering some questions," Nerevor said. "All of them."

"I will," Floyd said. "But first, we need to get what we came for. I don't suppose Kazam can teleport cars as well as people?"

"He can," Nerevor said. "Lead the way."

Dread gnawed at Tabby's stomach as they walked off towards the parking lot, and, for some reason, compelled her to look back at Central Tower.

**###**

Olivier moaned into Jonas' shoulder one more time as the two of them finished, the man rolling off of her to lay on his side as they both caught their breath. Though he was dimwitted, easily predictable and intimidated, he had indeed done his job and, had it not been for a blind stroke of misfortune, would have brought her the troublemaker and Tabby on a silver platter. After the things she and her men had seen today, she had half-expected him to flee like the other guards, but he'd stood his ground. True, he feared her about as much as he did Floyd or Tabby, but his obvious need to slake his lusts on anyone but his wife added with her own natural beauty made him more malleable than he knew.

And as an added bonus, it was a fantastic way to take out her frustrations on someone. Because Oliver was frustrated.

Furious, even.

How had things gone so wrong today?

The Testing Center was wrecked, the East and West Quarters were freaking out, the Central Quarter was in an uproar, her workers wouldn't shut their flapping gums for more than five seconds, and to make matters worse, Floyd had gotten away with Tabby. Not that she had much choice; Jonas was virtually useless with the both of them being conscious, and it would've taken either one of the two powerful mages in the room a dash of effort to reduce him to ash on the floor.

If she had tried to fight, there was a chance they would have destroyed her too.

Suddenly the afterglow of sex didn't hold a candle to the fury that overwhelmed her.

"Leave me, Jonas," Olivier said, keeping her voice controlled. "Know that you did well today not to flee from the observation room." She turned back on the charm and cast him a seductive glance over her pale shoulder. "Such bravery is to always be…rewarded."

A smile crossed the guard's face, and Olivier allowed him one more kiss before he collected his clothes and left. He knew better than to ask questions at this point. As soon as he'd gone, Olivier's smile died and was replaced with a scowl, one that worsened as she dressed in a robe and began to drink the only wine she had left in her quarters.

A knock at the door. "Miss Olivier? T-there are more reports that—"

"Leave my quarters, shut the door, and make sure I am not disturbed until morning or there will be consequences," Olivier said without taking her eyes off of the window. "Am I clear?"

The door shut without a word. Perfect.

Nerevor and Floyd…that was a giant problem. Nerevor was much too passive, and, to be frank, getting old. If need be, sheer numbers alone could overwhelm him in time. He would exact a massive toll in blood, but they could do it. But add Floyd into the picture…the man looked to be in his late-twenties at worst, meaning he had almost 75% of Nerevor's power with the stamina and strength of a man in the prime of his youth.

There was a time before his arrival that Olivier had been sure, absolutely sure, that they could defeat the mages of the Northern Quarter if either side came to blows. But with the newcomer on their side…she wasn't so sure of that anymore.

That look in his eye…not many people could meet her gaze for longer than a few seconds

Olivier snarled and shoved the wine away from her on the table, the taste driving her anger even further. Grumbling about needing air to no one in particular, she got up from the table and opened the access to the overlook, the cold air prickling on her skin as she stepped out onto the balcony and leaned over it, the cold wiping away some of the haziness of her mind.

The authority that came with her position also designated that she would have complete control over Snowpoint's army. There were enough fighting men, women, and Pokemon to ensure that the mages were outnumber by at least 2:1. With Nerevor, she would need 3:1, and with Floyd in the picture, she needed 4:1. But there was no where to get those numbers. Besides the assetse she already had waiting at her call, she simply didn't have the manpower.

Her brown hair whipped around her face as a gust of cold wind picked up and tugged at her robe. Looking down, the entire city seemed like ants from in her tower, the lights like tiny blips on the surface of a sleeping, giant beast.

An idea as bright as the stars above rang in Olivier's head as another breeze picked up.

Maybe she _did_ have the manpower. But in order to make it work, she was going to have to pull a lot of strings…and use every ounce of power at her disposal.

A smile slowly formed on her features as she walked back inside, the warmth hugging her all over and fending off the cold.

If this worked…Snowpoint's beauty would be hers to rule and to protect at long last.

And Olivier could hardly wait for tomorrow.

**###**

Ren stood next to Floyd as he explained the entirety of their case to the war council whatever people that had so graciously decided to interrogate them…again. Like he hadn't done enough already to save their sorry lives. From time to time, she would jump in with a random detail or two about how they came to be here, just to see the startled expressions that sometimes passed over their faces when they saw a talking Absol. Was it that uncommon here? Surely with the abundance of Pokemon in this universe, _someone_ had to have a talking Pokemon around here. Kazam was definitely not a chatterbox, and to be honest, the only decent conversation she'd had in the past few days was Blitz, even though he was at best, boredom fodder. He liked to talk almost as much as his trainer did, which was saying a lot, Ren thought. The various Glaceon, Eevee, the odd Beartic, some passerby Starly, even a few Skuntank that had been skulking around in an alley they'd passed by…no-gos. But Blitz was better than nothing, even if he did try to make passes at her every five minutes. The poor thing probably thought he was being coy.

"After that, we were in a weird pocket dimension of sorts," Floyd explained. "The car has a device that can scan for like environments…"

Ren raised her right paw and began to clean it as Floyd prattled on. Blitz caught her eye from his spot at Tabby's side. He blinked and aimlessly waved his hand side-to-side in something of a wave.

Ren sniffed the air a few times.

Oh yeah, he was hitting on her.

Fantastic.

"…and that about sums it up," Floyd finished. "It's not exactly a…regular story, but…"

The entire council looked to each other incredulously, and Ren made a mental note of the extremely hurt look on Tabby's face. "You want us to believe you're from an alternate universe," Vanessa said, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Fine, whatever. That doesn't explain why _we_ could feel your power an entire Quarter away."

Floyd sighed as Ren smiled. "Show 'em, Boss."

The council bounced a little in their seats as Floyd flexed his muscles, an aura of power kickstarting to life around his body. The white light drowned out every other light source in the room, small tendrils of white lightning arcing to and fro on his body.

"Alright, so there's a big scientific mumbo-jumbo explanation that he's about to give you, but I'll spare you the trouble and give you the abridged version: on our Earth, instead of Pokemon being the number one contender for abundant life forms on the planet with humans, there are these things called monsters that spawn and kill and destroy things." Ren shrugged. "Usually things we like. Anyways, whoever was in charge of making our universe decided that it wasn't fair for the monsters to have all the fun, so they blessed the first comings of humanity with…well, to be frank, superpowers." She stepped in front of her trainer, putting a dramatic flair to her step as she walked about the table. "Boss is a rare case among humans because he's so strong. He's only been doing this for…mm, 14 years now? Longer than before he met me, anyways. See, all humans have the choice to train these powers or to live their life like, uh, a non-magical person would live here on this Earth. We work with our country's government—that's the United States for anyone who wasn't paying attention—to hunt down and kill monsters that could do way more damage than is acceptable, like say…leveling a city. And so to fit the bill…"

"He's strong," Griffin said, and even he seemed to be a little awed. "Really strong."

"The strongest," Ren corrected. "Besides a few anomalies and these people called the Draconids that we're buddy-buddies with, Boss is the strongest human on Earth…though our friends aren't that far behind. Especially Ryu, bless his soul."

"Who?" Vanessa asked.

"Long story. Point is, _that,"_ she nodded towards Floyd, "is real. But it's not going to harm you, promise." She grinned. "I keep him on a tight leash."

"Incredible," Nerevor said, standing up from his seat. "So you can tap into your raw power with virtually no loss in utility?"

Floyd nodded. "All I have to do is call it to me."

"What about the mental strain?" Vanessa asked. "All of that power has to be focused from somewhere. Magic doesn't give without taking."

"It's not magic," Ren chimed in. "It may be hard to believe, but there's no magic alive that can replicate _that._ Trust me, many have tried." She cleared her throat and stepped back to Floyd's side, as the man certainly wasn't going to advertise himself. "Alongside the complimentary flashlight that comes with the aura, you also get a deal so good, you're basically robbing us! Super strength, super speed, rapid healing, flight, enhanced intelligence, _excellent_ lovemaking skills," she nearly laughed when Tabby turned a slight red, "and other things all when you order your very own B-er, Floyd, today!"

Silence overtook the room except for the sound of Floyd's steady power to Ren's left.

"She has a flair for the dramatic, doesn't she?" Vanessa remarked, Zero nodding in agreement.

"Th-this is not a sales call!" Corinth shouted, standing up from his seat. "Nerevor, you can't seriously believe these claims! They've already lied to us before, why stop now?"

"They haven't lied," Nerevor said. "I knew the story of their origin before the rest of you. Plainly they chose not to share, but that was their choice until now. As for Mr. Floyd's power…I must admit that I agree with Ren."

Corinth shook his head vehemently but sat down hard in his chair while Vanessa spoke up. "Why is that, exactly?"

"It is very clear that Mr. Floyd comes from a world much different from our own. From the way he is dressed, to the way that Ren…functions, to their raw power, and even to the type of car they drive…that is very clear indeed. But a surefire way to test this…Tabby, my dear, would you conjure some fire for us?"

Tabby gave Floyd another sideways glance, then snapped her fingers as though they were a lighter. A small flame sprouted from her extended thumb, dancing in the air.

"Everyone here…er, besides Zero, of course, can feel what type of power Tabby is producing, yes?" The council nodded. "What does it feel like? Use your senses."

The table closed their eyes and focused. "It feels…like I'm standing right next to her," Griffin said, even though he was across the table from her. "I wouldn't be able to feel the fire from here, but I know it's there. It's just…heat."

"Like a heartbeat," Vanessa said, crossing her arms. Corinth nodded in agreement and didn't say anything.

"Good," Nerevor said, shifting his gaze to Floyd. "Now tell me what Mr. Floyd's power feels like to you."

The entire table opened their mouths at once, but nothing came out. One by one, they all began to look puzzled, like someone doing a double take at something they thought they might have seen. It was pretty funny to Ren…but it seemed there was no one laughing. Quite the opposite actually.

"He's right," Tabby said, her eyes still closed. Ren had a feeling the frown on her face wasn't entirely because of how odd Floyd's power was. "I can feel it but…there's no type of energy. It's just…power." There was an assent as Nerevor stood up.

"It seems that we have, then, come to an agreement." He examined Floyd thoughtfully. "Mr. Floyd is able to achieve a level of power far beyond what any of us have ever seen before. His story, while odd, is so very specific that I doubt it is even possible for the most grand of storytellers to make it up. I am in favor of trusting our new friend and continuing to extend our hospitality and resources. All in favor?"

"I," Vanessa said.

"I," Griffin said.

"I can't even feel magic, but what the hell. I," Zero said, shrugging his broad shoulders.

Tabby let out a frustrated sigh. "I."

The table looked to Corinth who glared back and forth between his colleauges. "We're all making a collective mistake, but I've been outvoted anyways. I." Ren narrowed her eyes at that, and to her surprise, Floyd caught her eye and imperceptibly shook his head.

"Very good then," Nerevor said, sitting down. "Mr. Floyd, you may release your power." He did so and sat down, Ren hopping up in the chair next to him. "Now that we are all on the same page, I believe it is prudent to discuss our next course of action before we adjourn. Tabby, I would like for you to stay after the meeting, I have matters of importance I need to discuss with you. Mr. Floyd…well, it is needless to say that you've certainly stirred the Combee hive with your display earlier. I think it best not to act before things have calmed, hm?"

"Agreed," Vanessa said. "Any action now, and we might just spring into a war we've been trying so hard to avoid. There were reports everywhere from some of our people that were in the Southern Quarter for business, or people that live on the edge of the center Quarters. People were shaken pretty badly."

"We also need to up security," Griffin said, arms crossed over his barrel of a chest. "Nerevor sir, I'd like it if you didn't leave Sanctuary without a personal escort of myself and a few of my most trusted guards. If Olivier knows that Floyd is on our side, she might try to take you out and use the chaos to turn Sanctuary against him."

Nerevor tapped his fingers on the desk. "She would be well within her rights to try, but I doubt that even at my age she would be able to stop me so easily." He inclined his head. "But you are my Security Advisor for a reason, Griffin. I will trust your judgment." Griffin nodded and stepped back. "As for the rest of you, do try and get some rest in the next coming days. Mr. Floyd, Tabby, I would advise you to not even leave the Northern Quarter for the time being. Tensions are flitty as of late, and it only takes one spark to start the fire."

"Will do," Floyd said.

"Yeah, whatever," Tabby mumbled, leaning away from Floyd's side of the table. Something unspoken passed between the gaze the two shared, both of them looking away.

Ren didn't need to sniff the air to figure out what was going on there.

"Well," Nerevor said, clapping his hands together. "I believe business has been settled. The meeting is adjourned. Good night everyone." The familiar scrapes of chairs on hardwood was audible as everyone got up from their seats, Tabby included. "Ah, Tabby, we—"

"One sec," she interrupted.

She began walking towards Floyd, and Ren suddenly found Blitz very entertaining. "Hey, Blitz!" The lug looked around Tabby's thigh curiously. "Wanna go literally anywhere else than here?"

Blitz glanced at Tabby's rather cross expression, back at Ren, back to Tabby, and then nodded furiously. "Infernape!"

"Great! Let's go before they have a chance to drag us into it. You can show me my room! Or your room! Or anything!"

"Nape! Infernape!"

Ren sighed as he dropped to all fours and loped off beside her. "No, sorry. I'm, uh, not really in that market, y'know?"

Blitz scowled.

**###**

"Why didn't you tell me?" Tabby asked, her hands deep in her pockets. "I get the power thing, whatever, but…why'd you lie?"

Floyd had doubted that Tabby would even care about where or what he came from, but it seemed he had been wrong. "I…Tabby, I didn't know who I could trust. I've only been here…two days? Three, technically? I wasn't really planning on telling anyone."

"But you told Nerevor," Tabby said, "probably because you thought _he_ was the one who saved your life. But it was me. I did. I nearly froze for you. _At night."_

"I know," Floyd said. "I…I know. Look, I'm sorry if you feel hurt, okay?"

Tabby sighed and looked away from him. "It's whatever."

"It's not whatever," Floyd said, stepping back into her line of sight. "Why do you care?"

Tabby's frown deepened. "I thought…never mind."

"What?"

To his surprise, a blush warmed her cheeks. "I thought we were friends. You seemed like a nice guy and I thought…well, I thought we were going to be friends, okay? And I figured that friends would be a little more…transparent."

A small smile tugged at Floyd's lips. "You…don't have many, do you?"

"My best friend is a fire-breathing, 4-foot-and-change Pokemon, and a 130-year old man. You tell me."

Floyd studied her for a moment. He'd known a lot of people like Tabby before, one of those people being himself. There had only been one person he'd actually been friends with before Ren. And she…

He shook his head. "Go to your meeting with Nerevor, but after…" Her eyebrows arched as she looked at him. "Come up to my room. I'll make it up to you."

Tabby's eyebrows arched higher as she looked away pointedly.

"No, no, not like…I mean, I didn't mean it like…I'm not trying to seduce you, I promise."

Tongue in her cheek, Tabby nodded. "Right. I'll be by later maybe."

Floyd sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as Tabby turned away from him and headed back into the war room.

Time for some damage control.


	11. Chapter 9: Preparations

**Chapter 9: Preparations**

"Nape! Infernape!"

"God, you're a terrible flirt," Ren fired back, though she grinned while she said it. "Seriously, you northern folk can't even show a girl a good time anymore!" She paused. "Though I will admit, the stars are _really_ pretty here." She looked up to the dizzying array of the pinpoints of light up above. The night sky had turned cloudless after the storm earlier had dumped a fresh coat of freezing rain and snow everywhere, an aurora clear as day throughout the stars freckled over the black surface. It was thousands of times better than the lights in Cali, some of the stars so bright she could almost feel their light beaming down on her as well as the moon's.

"Infernape," Blitz purred again, pressing close to her. He _was_ rather warm for such a chilly little city, but it would take far worse cold to actually penetrate her thick coat. And Ren had a much smarter head on her shoulders than any Pokemon she knew of. She knew the difference between mating instincts and boorishness. Blitz, it seemed, was a combination of both.

"Alright, big guy," Ren said, pulling away. "Let's go inside. You can try again tomorrow when I'm just waking up. You'll have a better shot that way."

The fire monkey pouted as his shoulders sagged, his attempt finally failing. "Fernape."

"Yeah, there is a chance of that, but Tabby doesn't seem like one to yell," Ren said. "They're probably just talking, if they're not done already." She paused. "How long has it been since Tabby's had a boyfriend?"

Blitz shook his head, clueless.

"Oooookay, there's also a chance they're boning in there," Ren said, squicking herself out just thinking about it. "God knows she was moony-eyed at him when I blew you away a few days ago." She shook herself all over rapidly, snow flying off of her. "Come on, let's go see if we need to interrupt anything. And if we do, we are _definitely_ gonna have to talk to the both of them about—"

A pulsating sensation, something similar to one's heart skipping a beat, flared up and down Ren's horn. It was the same feeling you'd get when staring intently at something in a dark room, trying to figure out if that's a demon or a chair with some clothes on it that's staring you down at 3am.

Something bad was about to happen.

"Shit," Ren said.

"Infernape?"

"Horn's going off," Ren said. "Sorta like Spidey Sense, y'know?"

Blitz stared blankly at her.

Ren sighed. "So uncivilized." She felt it again, and this time it was strong enough to make her horn quiver and very faintly glow purple. "Alright, something super not good. Snowpoint doesn't get avalanches, right? Or earthquakes?" The Infernape shook his head to both. "A storm wouldn't set me off either. Then what…AGH!"

Every so often, when there was something that was much too dangerous to leave up to chance, the biological Absol Sense (that was what Ren had called it, much to Floyd's chagrin) would work overtime if she simply wasn't seeing what her horn was picking up. Her body went rigid, her legs stiffening and locking in place. Her eyes began to furiously glow purple, and the world faded away, leaving not even her body. Only a black void…

…

Everything was muted, deafened. She couldn't hear anything…but her vision was clear. Where was she? Sanctuary. There were the staircases. It was nighttime still…the same day, because the guards were in the same places they had been when Blitz dragged her up to the rooftop. They were…looking at her? No. They were looking at the person who Ren was seeing through. She was waving at them…talking. They were relaxed. They knew him. He was going to go somewhere…outside after dark though? That was dangerous, right? Not for him, it seemed. The guards were still relaxed. They opened the door without even asking too many questions. Important business…that was a lie, but he needed to do it in order to leave.

He was on the street…going right down the sidewalk with a purpose. No car…too loud, draws too much attention, especially in quieter parts.

He needed quiet for what was going to come next.

Ren's vision blurred so fast she was almost sick, zooming from the person's perspective, out onto the street, up the side of Sanctuary and all the way back to the roof, where she saw herself in third-person. The vision zoomed back into her and her eyes stopped glowing, her limbs unlocking as a quiver went through her and she slumped to the ground.

"Infernape!" Blitz cried out in worry. His strong hands clasped around her and helped her to stand, snow matted to the underside of her lush ruff.

"Ugh," Ren moaned, shaking off the vision. "I hate it when that happens." The rush of disorientation fled her as worry replaced the space it left. "Oh God. We gotta go now! This whole gaggle of mages is in trouble…er, according to whoever I was looking through. They're going down the sidewalk. If we can get downstairs now, we might be able to catch them." Blitz wasted no time asking and simply nodded, looping one arm near her stomach. "Hey, what are you doi-OH MY GOD!"

The Infernape leapt off of the roof, one arm still holding her fast and the other swinging from fire escape to loose bricks with all the skill and grace of his species. He didn't miss a beat, pushing off walls with his powerful legs and catching the both of them with his equally strong arms. They made it to the ground in no time at all, the snow crunching beneath the both of their feet as they took off past the main entrance to Sanctuary. Sure enough, there were a line of footprints in the snow, and there was no storm to cover them back up.

"He definitely went this way," Ren muttered, putting her nose to the ground and sniffing a few times. "I can't tell who it was…they were wearing some god-awful cologne though." She paused for a moment. "Blitz, if you follow me on foot, your light is gonna let whoever it is know we're coming before we're ready. Stick to the rooftops, okay?"

Blitz nodded and ran back to the way they came while Ren put her nose back to the ground and began sniffing again as she walked forwards. The footprints led around the block, trailing past a variety of different magical shops and buildings that surrounded Sanctuary. She followed it all the way down the main street, watching for any deviations or signs of a trap. There were none, and to reassure herself every so often, she saw the brief light from Blitz' head flame flickering on the rooftops behind her. The footsteps became more linear, and it was clear whatever way the person was going, it was almost definitely in a straight line. Ren began to bound forward, her paws making no sound against the snowy floor of Snowpoint and…

They stopped.

Ren frowned. "What the fuck?"

Forwards, backwards, side to side…nothing.

There were two more footprints in front of her, and they suddenly vanished.

Whoever she'd been following had teleported or started flying. Regardless, it didn't matter. She couldn't fly and neither could Blitz. What _did_ matter was who got away.

"Head back to Sanctuary!" Ren called up to the rooftops. She heard a hoot of affirmation and she took off following the tracks in reverse as quick as she could.

Boss would probably want to know that someone had left in the middle of the night with the intent to murder quite a number of people.

**###**

Even though she had been completely in the wrong by acting so coldly to Floyd after the meeting, Tabby still accepted his apology, which actually turned out to be pretty fun. He'd gotten his phone and wallet from his car (mostly so they wouldn't be stolen overnight but for this too) and was showing her pictures of his life back on his own Earth. From what she saw, his Earth actually looked rather interesting, as did the people who lived on it. It was turning out to be a rather fun night that they made a little bit funner with some light refreshments and some of Snowpoint's best music…which wasn't saying much.

There was also the added bonus of seeing a few student ID cards that he hadn't taken out of his wallet in some time.

"Clarence?" Tabby asked, peering at his driver's license. "I thought your name was Floyd."

"It's my last name," Floyd said. "Clarence is long and most of my friends call me it anyways."

"Oh okay," Tabby shrugged. "Imma still call you Floyd though. Aww, look at 10th grade Floyd!" Tabby squealed, picking up another card. She was a little unnerved by the dates underneath his photo, but everything else looked pretty commonplace. "Class of 2020, eh? So you're either super old or it really is still the 2000s over there."

"No, I'm 200 years old," Floyd said.

Tabby waited.

"That was a joke."

"Hilarious, good sir," Tabby said, feigning a Galarian accent. She gasped. _"No Floyd, you did not."_

"What?" He looked over to see what she was staring at. In awe and disbelief, she held up his 11th grade ID (why the man had so many IDs, she would never know), to show him the hairstyle he'd been rocking in his age. "Oh God, put _that_ away."

Tabby laughed as Floyd stuffed the card back in his wallet, embarrassed but smiling. "I cannot picture you with anything but this," she waved towards his short curly hair, "so to see the 'fro was…"

"Alright, then," he said, straightening up. "What did you look like in high school?"

Tabby put a finger to her lips. "Okay, so look at me now."

"Right."

"Add…super dorky glasses."

"Mmhm."

"A spattering of acne."

"Yep."

"Aaaand pigtails."

"You're mocking me."

She placed her hand on her chest. "I solemnly swear I'm not lying. I was a super geek." She laughed. "My mom used to say I was the prettiest girl on the block, can you believe that? I didn't lose the pigtails until I graduated regular school!" She grabbed two sides of her hair and pulled them up to drive home the point, earning a snicker from Floyd. "I knew this really mean girl in school too, she'd always make fun of my hair, and I always wondered…was she ever right?" She bit her lip and pulled out her own wallet, her old student ID falling to the ground. Floyd roared with amusement as Tabby raised her voice, a grin spreading ear-to-ear. "Yes, yes she was."

"Well," Floyd said after he'd calmed down. "I think the next step is obvious." Tabby raised an eyebrow as Floyd reached for the…

"Nonononononononono, Floyd, give me that back!"

"You can just have mine, we'll trade."

"No, I looked ugly as shit in that, you actually look half-decent in yours, give it back!"

"You're welcome to come and take it from me if you'd like."

Accepting his challenge, Tabby leapt from her cross-legged position on the floor and across the pile of cards and photos they had, straight into his chest. Floyd was rather tall, so he merely fell back on the floor and raised his hands above his head so that she couldn't get it. As they both struggled, Tabby straining to get him and laughing while Floyd grinned and moved it _just_ before her fingers could close around it, she felt a flicker of…contentment? Something like that. It was so nice to have someone she could goof around with. Blitz would always be her friend, her best friend, sure…but he couldn't talk back to her, not like Ren could to Floyd.

Yeah, a human friend. She didn't have many of those.

"Gotcha!" Tabby said, making a final desperate lunge and knocking the card out of his fingers. She rolled off of him and hugged it close to her chest as she scooted over to his side. "If you touch it, I'll…bite your fingers."

"It would hurt you a lot more than it would hurt me," Floyd replied, fanning his shirt out. "Alright, um…hello." He reached forward into the pile and pulled out a small photo of a young girl with two people who were obviously her parents. "These your folks?"

Tabby's smile died.

It was her. She was wearing a long white dress that made her long hair stand out against the pure whites of her outfit. Her eyes were closed as a smile as wide as the Great Canyon split her face from ear-to-ear. She was holding hands with a handsome man, his green eyes sparkling with as much life as his wife's, his arm wrapped firmly and lovingly around the woman's shoulders. The woman…well, she looked just like Tabby did now, smile crinkles around her eyes, her own lighter, more auburn hair straightened for the occasion.

She hadn't seen that photo in…a long time. She must have put in her wallet and forgotten about it. It was at her Awakening, the ritual held in Snowpoint back when its people were still writing in paper scrolls and…sending messages by Noctowl as a standard. Compared to back then, the modern day thing was short, but she would always remember how proud her mother and father had been when Nerevor had blocked her first ever Ember. How excited she had been to finally be able to wrestle all-out with Blitz, who had only been a Chimchar at the time.

How happy she'd been. How happy they'd all been.

Tabby cleared her throat. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."

Floyd stopped smiling too as he studied her face. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she said rather quickly. She shook her head. "Sorry."

"It's alright," Floyd said, placing the photo back in the pile. They sat in silence for a second as Floyd fidgeted with his phone, Tabby trying to get over her sudden influx of backed-up emotions. "Hey, do you want to see where Ren and I are from? My phone finally turned back on."

Tabby nodded, grateful for the change of subject as she leaned over. A video was pulled up on the screen of a bunch of people dancing and singing in a large house. It must have been warm because they hardly wore any clothes; short sleeves and shorts everywhere. They were singing along to a song of some sorts and they all looked so…happy together. Tabby smiled as she spotted Ren in the corner as the camera panned around the large living room, her red eyes rolling but unable to contain herself as her foot tapped along to the beat, something that the camera picked up on and zoomed into. A few seconds in, a beautiful blonde woman leapt in front of the camera and mimed singing into a microphone, the camera zooming back out to show her ensemble doing the same thing. There was a redheaded woman, a pale woman with vibrant purple eyes, a shorter man with an impish look on his face, and one more man with wild hair.

"Who are they?" Tabby asked, laughing as the energy in the room dialed up to 11.

"They're my friends," Floyd said, a sad smile on his face. "That's our house that we're in and uh…this is from when we all got our grants approved at our jobs. It was a few months back and…" He fell silent, just watching the video, extra sadness creeping into his eyes.

"Floyd," Tabby said softly. "You'll find a way back home. And I promise I'll do everything I can, alright?"

The sadness left his expression as he pocketed his phone with a sigh. "Yeah. Thank you."

Tabby nodded. "Listen…I'm sorry for acting like a bitch earlier. You didn't owe me anything and it was stupid of me to expect that you did." Floyd nodded. "But…I'm glad I met you. I…I like doing this. Being friends. It's nice."

"It is," Floyd said. "And I shouldn't have lied to you. I'm sorry too." He smiled. "So…friends then?"

"Friends," Tabby beamed. "And your friend desperately needs to go to sleep so she doesn't miss breakfast time at Spinda's. You're coming tomorrow, by the way."

"To Spinda's? I don't have money."

"I'll buy you. I still owe you from getting beat in the Pokemon battle anyways. They have a really delicious pancake that looks like a Spinda eye and it tastes—"

 _Knock knock._ "If you two are on top of each other or in various states of undress, you'd better fix it and let us in!"

"Infernape!"

Tabby laughed as Floyd sighed. "I'll get it."

As he opened the door, Ren and Blitz jogged in, both of them looking as though they'd spent a fair amount of time outside. Ren looked flustered, and Blitz immediately leapt into Tabby's lap like he did when he was stressed. "What's wrong, Blitz?" Tabby asked. She looked up at Ren, who was nervously looping behind Floyd's legs over and over. "Did something spook you guys?"

"Yes, something very spooky," Ren said. She leapt up onto the couch, her blade-like tail swooshing against the cushions rapidly. "Look, I'll cut to the chase. Someone just left Sanctuary with enough hostile intent to make my Absol Sense go off."

"Absol Sense?" Tabby asked.

"Long story," Floyd said. "What happened?"

Ren explained what she'd felt up on the rooftop. "We ran after whoever it was but they disappeared before we catch up. I mean _literally_ disappeared, we couldn't find any trace of him past…what, a block or two away from here?" Blitz nodded in affirmation.

Floyd's face had melded back into serious mode. With her newfound knowledge of how strong he really was, it was kind of scary to Tabby to see him like that. "Tabby, any ideas?"

"Well, I can only imagine they went a few blocks away because of the magical barriers surrounding Sanctuary," Tabby said, scratching the back of her head. "Nerevor must have put them up after our little show down at Central Tower today. They prevent anyone from teleporting to or from the property in a huge radius that doesn't have Nerevor's permission."

"So it was clearly someone Nerevor doesn't know or doesn't trust," Ren finished.

"Which one, though?" Tabby asked.

"Which one is worse?"

There was no answer to that, so Tabby pressed on. "Did you ask the guards at the main entrance? They had to see who left."

"Well, that's just it," Ren said. "I did ask and they told me that someone _did_ leave, but they couldn't remember who."

A look of disbelief crossed Floyd's face. "What?"

"That's what they said!" Ren protested. "They were sitting there looking like they were going crazy trying to remember it. And they weren't lying; humans smell when they lie, and luckily for us, everyone on this Earth is human…I think. Regardless, they didn't know, so we ran up here."

Tabby could tell Floyd was thinking about something, but it was clear he wasn't going to share. "Well, it won't do us any good to worry about it now. In the morning I'll go see Nerevor and we'll talk after, alright?" She stood up, Blitz at her side. "I'm gonna go hit the hay. I'll see you in the morning, 'kay?"

Floyd nodded as Ren continued to chat his ear off about what they'd seen. Her personal items in hand, Tabby left his room and started off towards her own, lost in thought.

"Infernape?" Blitz asked, tugging on her sleeve.

"I'm okay, bud," Tabby said. "Just…thinking."

She thought back to how quickly her meeting afterwards with Nerevor had been when the general council meeting had ended. He'd asked her how she was doing, and if she trusted Floyd.

"Yes," she'd said instantly. "He's an ally."

"Good," Nerevor said, something like relief passing over him. "Then the both of you must protect each other in the days to come."

Tabby stepped into her room, throwing her coat on her couch and staring into the mirror next to the door. The outline of the picture of her family pressed against her leg in her pocket.

"Brace yourself, my dear," Nerevor had said. "Brace yourself."

**###**

Over the next few days, Floyd and Ren alternated between rest, recovery, and repairs. Nerevor's warning at the meeting had proven to be correct. Security presence in general had doubled from before both he and Tabby had been arrested, and the areas surrounding the Hub in Central were like stirred-up beehives. Constant shift changes, men and women both in uniform and undercover…no, there was no breaking into the Hub, not yet. It did give the council plenty of time to prepare in the meantime though. Nerevor held nightly meetings that he and Ren attended, discussing strategy and future options if this plan didn't work out. The general details he shared with the entire group. When it came to the more sensitive details of the operation though, Nerevor only told Floyd, Ren, and Tabby in confidence. When Tabby had spoken to the old wizard the morning after Ren and Blitz' discovery, he'd been visibly unnerved. It obviously couldn't have been the two of them since they'd been together, and a quick check of the guards at the door confirmed that someone or something had wiped their memories, whether by magic or by a Pokemon's move. Regardless, he couldn't just interrogate every single person or the person in question would slip away with their cover blown, so he was conducting an investigation behind the scenes. His orders? Stay quiet, act normal.

The best way to do that was to do what he said he was going to do; fix the damned car.

Floyd quickly came to realize that Sanctuary was basically one big Room of Requirement. All he had to do was ask Nerevor if there was an autoshop of any kind around the area and almost like magic, Nerevor said he seemed to have remembered a garage door in the back of the building that contained exactly that. Wheeling the pathetic carcass of the car inside, the room had everything they needed to make general repairs and then some.

"Oooooh, Boss," Ren moaned, practically salivating at all the equipment sitting around. "I blame you for making me into a gearhead. Look at all this… _stuff!"_

"I see it," Floyd said, a smile spreading on his lips. "Get comfortable though. We're not leaving until she's in 100 percent driving shape."

"What about flying?"

"Driving first," Floyd said. "I don't even want to think about how damaged the engines are for flying." He shuddered as he remembered the wheezing noises they'd heard when they'd tried to fly out of the forest. "Let's get to work, partner."

It was grueling, monotonous work. Parts were hard to come by because they'd built the thing on a completely different Earth with completely different materials. Everything had to be tested again and again to ensure that the car wouldn't fall apart or malfunction during use due to the change in part materials. In again, out again, that can't go there, no, no, no. They worked themselves to the bone day in and day out, entering the workshop at dawn and leaving to enter the main building well after dark when they couldn't work anymore under threat of falling asleep under a four-ton metal body. They dragged their feet all the way up the staircase the first four days and somehow found the strength to wake back up and do it again the next morning. Often times, though they didn't do it on purpose, the two would go the whole day without eating, only snacking hard before they went to sleep that night.

The fifth day, both Ren and Floyd fell asleep snuggling on a makeshift cot well away from the car, the lights dimmed as they crashed. Oddly, they awoke the next day with rumbling stomachs from hunger and from the scents in the room. Upon investigation, they found a hot stack of Spinda Cafe's city-famous pancakes sitting on one of the workbenches. They were glazed with cinnamon and butter that oozed down the sides and made every thing wrong in the world go away with the sweet syrup it was drenched in. The hot meal raised the both of their spirits, and as soon as they finished, they went right back to work.

That day they fell asleep in the workshop again. Another hot breakfast the next morning. A few more days later, Floyd turned around and saw lunch sitting on the workbench, something he was sure hadn't been there a moment ago. It was a roast beef sandwich—well, whatever beef was on this planet anyways—and a side of fries.

"She likes you," Ren said as she munched on a few of his fries.

Floyd frowned. "Who?"

She rolled her red eyes. "You're a moron."

"Love you too."

It was only hours later as he wrenched a piece of metal out from under the car that _definitely_ didn't belong there did Floyd figure out, with a smile, who Ren was talking about.

**###**

"Hotter! Again! Hyah!" Tabby shouted, her foot blurring in front of her own face and sending a gout of flame bursting into open air. Blitz did the same next to her as he shouted his name loudly, though his flame was much stronger. They trained together in the Sanctuary courtyard while some of the lesser students watched and took notes, Vanessa walking around and nodding at good notes and techniques. Tabby, meanwhile, noted that there was still a gap between her own magical strength and the natural strength of her Infernape.

But the gap was much closer now than it had been three weeks ago.

She had been training hard, harder than she had to graduate from Sanctuary's magical school. The meetings at night had grown more and more intense over the past two weeks, and yesterday had confirmed a suspicion Tabby had been harboring for a while; Nerevor believed it was nearly time to make a move on the Hub. Olivier seemed to be relaxing security a little bit, and at this point, it was as low as it was going to get. Everyone had been hard at work either training or preparing and gathering intel leading up to the operation. Truth be told, Tabby wasn't sure what the hell _she_ was training for. It was Floyd who was going in. Alone…with only Ren to back him up.

Against Olivier…

How that man didn't shiver whenever her name was brought up in conversation, she would never know. Nerevor never did either, so maybe it was a power thing.

That was her reasoning right there, she realized. She was tired of feeling helpless, like she wasn't doing anything to contribute to their cause.

Maybe Floyd would go in alone, but there was always the chance that he'd be discovered and need more than Ren's help to survive. She'd made him a promise and by Arceus, she'd see it through until it killed her.

So she had to train. Her flames needed to be as strong as Blitz', if not stronger. They _had_ to be.

She wouldn't let him be killed. She couldn't stop the monsters in Central from taking her friends…her family away from her when she was younger.

She would _not_ let that happen again.

Sweat ran down Tabby's face in torrents as she drew herself up again and let loose a titanic wave of flames.

**###**

"Gentlemen, if you would please prepare yourselves," Nerevor commanded.

Floyd and Ren stood well away from the circle of mages that congregated around their car. "Are you sure this'll work?" Ren asked him.

"The enchantment on Sanctuary is about the same as the one we used on the car," Floyd said. "If they can repair it, the magic here should be about the same as the magic on our Earth."

"And if it isn't?"

"Then we lose all the stuff we've been trying so hard to get."

He saw his partner swallow nervously. "Then let's hope they know what they're doing."

"Miss Ren, if I may," Nerevor said without looking back, "these students were personally selected by me by means of their magical aptitude and strength. If there is anyone who is going to repair the enchantments on your car, it is them."

Ren drew herself up and Floyd rolled his eyes. Nerevor had started using Miss in front of Ren's name every time he spoke to her, a luxury no one had actually given her on their Earth. "Well…alright. Best of luck then."

"On three, my friends," Nerevor said, raising his hands. Power surged all at once, the various magi around the room lifting their hands as well and summoning raw magical energy. "The advanced version of Magic Room, please. One. Two. Three!"

The magical energy reached its peak, so much that Floyd was sure the roof on the workshop would blow off. The eight magi raised their hands even higher, their fingers stretched out towards the direction of the car as pink light zipped from their fingertips and crashed into the car's surface. Besides the dings and scratches of wear and tear, the near-month's work had yielded resounding successes after many trials and errors with the materials and pieces needed to get the car in driving condition. The car glowed a bright pink, almost white as it nearly blinded Floyd and Ren. The Absol shut her eyes and pressed her head into his leg as he covered his own eyes and looked away.

"And…hold! On your promise, hold!" Nerevor shouted. The magical energy faded away, the pulsating feeling in Floyd's head dimming as the light did too. When the light had faded fully and they could see again, the car looked no different save the slight pink tinge that fused with the metal, fading even as Floyd watched. "Well, Mr. Floyd? Is it to your liking?"

Floyd looked down at Ren, who shrugged, though something like excitement glimmering behind her eyes. "I don't know. Let's find out."

He unlocked the car doors, both he and Ren climbing inside.

"WOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!" Ren screamed, bolting out of the car and running around the workshop at mach speed. "YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! WE'RE BACK! BACK IN BUSINESS!"

The magi all laughed as Ren continued to run circles around the workshop in excitement while Floyd leaned back in his chair, eyes firmly on the rearview mirror.

The enchantments in question had been created by Violet, the strongest witch Floyd had known before he'd crash-landed in Snowpoint. They had magically extended the interior of the car, and while it looked barely big enough to hold four from the outside, the inside could easily fit 12 or 13 people at once. His eyes roamed over the cracked leather of the seats, some old books that either Violet or Annabeth had left beneath a seat. The one seatbelt that was darker than most because Bobby had accidentally set it on fire.

His friends…

Floyd smiled, sadness and longing threatening to overwhelm him.

Then as quick as it came, it left, replaced by fiery determination. He wasn't going to see them again if he sat around wallowing in his thoughts. He had a job to do before he could even think about going home, and Nerevor and his students had just given him his trump card back.

He pressed a button on the dashboard that would swap out the contents of the trunk with his backup armor. The armor in his room had taken quite the beating from the crash, and he'd need to be at 100 percent if he was going to stand a chance of breaking into the Hub.

Ren stopped running around and watched as Floyd opened the trunk, a shimmering white light spilling out into the workshop.

"Nerevor."

The old man looked directly into his eyes, and Floyd was pleased to see that the fire in his own soul was behind Nerevor's eyes as well.

Floyd took a good long look at midnight black armor, the white sun in the center chestpiece glowing furiously as it reacted to the presence of its master.

"We're ready."


	12. Chapter 10: Breaking and Entering

**Chapter 10: Breaking and Entering**

Three more days passed, and suddenly, Floyd and Ren had been stranded on an Earth entirely foreign to their own for a month straight. In those three days, final preparations were made, plans were solidified, scouting trips were taken, and almost faster than he could have believed, the time to break into the Hub was finally here. The day of the operation, Floyd, Ren, and the rest of the council sat in the war room, giving him the final instructions for when they would leave later that night.

"My friends. The time has finally come. This is not the beginning nor the end of a war. We are doing this in the hopes that we may be able to avoid one. If Mr. Floyd is successful, the League will see through the facades that Olivier has fed them for so long, and with luck, we will be liberated from her rule forevermore." Nerevor smiled, bowing his head briefly. "I must admit, this old heart of mine hasn't beat so fast in a long time." He took a deep breath. "But I digress. Zero, you have the files for our friend, yes?"

"Sure do," Zero said, holding a flash drive in between his fingers. He rolled it into the palm of his hand and tossed it to Floyd. "In there is everything we've compiled on the crimes Olivier and her little militia have committed. It has my unique Gym Leader ID in there alongside a bunch of legal documents and such that verifies this isn't just some simple cry for help."

"What you're going to be doing is going straight to the server room," Vanessa said, stepping from her seat to a whiteboard with a neat diagram of the Hub sketched on it. "You'll need to infiltrate the first floor and get to sub-level 2. The server farm there has an uplink that should run directly out of the city and to the main information hub regionwide. Once you hook up to the system, you'll need to let the USB do its thing for a few minutes. It knows exactly how to contact the League and what information to send. Worst case scenario, you'll have to do it manually. There are instructions on the drive how to do that if the time comes."

Floyd nodded, studying the flash drive. "How's security looking?"

Nerevor looked to Tabby who nodded. "Good, so far anyways. I took a few scouts to Central again earlier today. Nothing so far has changed. Guards are rotating every four hours instead of two, so our best chance to get in is on the third hour when they're nice and sleepy."

"If the alarm does go off, Tabby and some of the others will be standing by to help get you out of there," Griffin said. "But be warned; you're basically going into the heart of Olivier's territory. If you are discovered, even with help, there's a chance there might be more soldiers on you than you can handle. There's no guarantee even with our help that you'd survive."

"And that's exactly why we're not going to get caught," Ren said, characteristically optimistic…or perhaps, arrogant. "Trust us, we've been doing this a _long_ time. We don't get caught."

"That does bring up a good point though," Floyd said. "Nerevor…you do realize that if push comes to shove, Ren and I might have to defend ourselves. And if things go wrong…there's a chance war might be in motion before the sun comes up tomorrow."

"We know the dangers, my friend," Nerevor said. "All of us. I have prepared countermeasures specifically for the rest of the week in the event the plan fails or that it succeeds and we are discovered anyways." He sighed. "But yes, I am aware. Do what you must, though I would ask that you do so only when necessary."

Floyd nodded again. He didn't like the idea that he'd have to hurt some of the men inside the Hub. Some might just be doing their jobs. He'd spare them if he could, but if it was their lives or Ren's…he'd make the choice.

"With that in mind, I believe that everything else there is to deliberate is in Arceus' hands, not ours," Nerevor said. "Eat and drink well, Mr. Floyd. You too, Miss Ren. The both of you will need your strength, and I hate the fact that we can do nothing but pray you return. May Arceus be with you both."

"Yeah," Ren said, glancing towards the ceiling. "Let's hope."

On that bittersweet note, the meeting adjourned. As the council members walked out into the still-bustling chaos of midday Sanctuary, Tabby caught his arm and pulled him aside into one of the side hallways.

"Hey," she said. "How…how are you?"

Floyd let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Fine, all things considered. I've gone through much worse stakes." He looked her in the eye and managed a smile. "We'll be okay."

"O-okay," Tabby said with a nod. "Well…I'll be rooting for you. You know the signal and stuff, right?"

"Yeah. I'll send it up the minute something happens."

"The second," Tabby corrected. She took a deep breath as well. "Why do I feel like I'm more worried about this than you are?"

"Because I'm your knight in shining armor," Floyd teased. "If I lose, you lose."

Tabby stuck her tongue at him and smacked his arm, causing him to snicker. "I'm serious! Shouldn't you be…I don't know, pacing nervously or something? Stress eating?"

"Honey," Ren said. "I told you; we've done this thing before. Many-a-times."

"Okay first, putting a moratorium on you calling me 'Honey', and second…well, yeah, I know." Her eyes glimmered like emeralds as they stared into his. "You both have to promise you're not going to die."

"Tabby, I—"

"Promise. Me."

Floyd sighed. "Alright. I promise." She stuck her pointer finger out expectantly. "What…what is this all about?"

"It's a pointer promise," Tabby said. "You guys don't have that?"

"We have a pinkie promise," Floyd replied. "But…I get your drift."

Tabby beamed at him as his finger curled around hers.

**###**

Night fell. Central was as still as ever.

The city was as still as ever.

Olivier didn't like it. Not one bit.

She was informed. She knew everything that happened in the city. She knew that in the next few weeks, there would be an attempt to take Central Tower, or so she'd heard from her informants. Every few days, there seemed to be a different story, with only one common denominator.

Nerevor was getting ready for a fight.

So why tonight of all nights did she feel that something was going to go terribly, terribly wrong?

"Ma'am?" a voice said over the intercom. "It's Monday, ma'am. Would…would you like your attendants to send up your preferred beverage for your leisure?"

Olivier frowned as she looked out at the city lights. Her fingers absentmindedly found the intercom button. "No," she replied. "Tell the men outside Central Tower to double their patrol sizes. No…send out an order to every unit in Central that they are to double patrol sizes. And I must ask you to stay late tonight. Any messages or disturbances, send them to me immediately."

"Y-yes ma'am." The intercom shut off.

As she looked out at the dazzling array of city lights, her scowl worsened.

**###**

_Handprint verified. Good evening, Mr. Floyd._

Floyd removed his hand from the sun on the armor's chestpiece and removed it from the containment tube he'd brought up from the car. Chilly white smoke poured from the inside, keeping the armor at a constant temperature and pressure until it was ready to use. Now that the security measures wouldn't activate and squeeze him into bloody paste, he reversed the chestplate and slipped through it at the bottom, the hem expanding as though it were elastic to fit his shoulders.

"How's it feel, Boss?" Ren asked, watching him suit up.

"Feels good," Floyd said, pulling on the gauntlets next. He felt them seal around the main parts of the armor. They'd be impossible to tear away by brute force and would only make his punches hurt that much more for his enemies.

He stepped into the greaves and boots. Absolutely waterproof (not that it mattered), shock absorbent, and mute, another one of Violet's wonderful enchantments. Inside the Hub, he was going to look like a ghost, and probably sound like one too. The boots sealed to the greaves as solid as the gauntlets to the chestpiece. He took a deep, deep breath and watched the interlocking plates slide and shift over one another as he breathed. Exhale. They slid back together almost inperceptibly. Perfect.

He touched a spot near his collarbone, a small indent on the armor. With a click, a neck guard unfurled from the extra material and locked into place, awaiting the headpiece to be donned as well.

Floyd leaned over the armor's container and cradled the headpiece with both hands, studying it. It was a simple thing; a full head mask made of the same sturdy material as the rest of the armor, a little extra space given in the nose and mouth sections for him to breath and be able to talk coherently. The eyes of the mask were completely dark, and weren't see-through. When he put it on, all anyone would be able to see when they looked him in the eye would be tiny white pricks of light, like staring into a void filled with the unknown. He tapped a spot on the mask's crown and it expanded enough to get his head in it, sliding on as easily as if he had just put it on yesterday. Floyd opened his eyes, completely encased in the dark for a moment until the suit's systems finished interlocking the entire thing together. When the seal was complete between the mask and his neck guard, the displays flared to life. A blue HUD was visible in the corner of his vision, enhanced by the multiple lenses and functions built into the mask.

"Systems check," Floyd said. He watched as the suit began listing off the different tasks before his very eyes in a scroll of text.

_**SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC LOG** _

_Adaptive_ _suit_ _temperature…active._

_Augmented suit strength modifier...active._

_Augmented suit speed modifier...active._

_Emergency respirator...active._

_Emergency medical suit services...active._

_Environmental scanner...active._

_Supplementary suit abilities...active._

_Voice modulator...active._

_Syncing with cybernetic limb interface…finished._

_Syncing with car interface…finished._

_Syncing with home interface…could not connect to home interface._

_**Diagnostics complete.** _

Floyd nodded. "We're in business." As if to further drive home the point, the sun in the middle of his chest flared with white light, power coursing through him as the last of the enchantments activated and then faded away, waiting to be used at his beck and call. He reached into the container one more time to fish out the long swath of black wraithcloth that was kept beneath everything else. Looping it around his shoulders, the cloth swept onto his back, attracted to the very linings of the armor. Like the rest of it, no one was coming anywhere close to ripping it off of his shoulders; they'd get more than a black eye if they tried.

"You alright?" Floyd asked, looking down at Ren.

"I'm absolutely terrified and I'd rather you go by yourself than take me with you," Ren said. She waited a moment and then smiled. "How was that?"

Floyd smiled beneath the mask as the HUD measured Ren's vitals and let him know that she was lying. "Perfect. Let's go."

They walked out into the hallway where an Abra floated motionless. "We're ready."

Abra nodded and floated over to the both of them. Its small form glowing pink, Floyd felt the familiar disorientation as the small Pokemon teleported them down to the autoshop where the rest of the squadron was waiting. To his satisfaction, the armor got the reaction he'd wanted out of the volunteers; just about everyone in the room save Nerevor jumped, swore, or did both when Floyd stepped out of the teleportation.

"F-Floyd?" Tabby asked, her long hair in a tail for the time being. "Is that you?"

He touched the crown of his head and the mask collapsed in on itself to the jaw, revealing his face. "It's me." He looked to Nerevor. "This is everyone?"

"Indeed," Nerevor said, looking particularly somber. "I have already addressed them. They know the dangers, all of them." Floyd looked around. There were ten volunteers in total, all of them only there to cover an escape, not fight a war. Level-headed Vanessa and the taciturn Griffin were leading the team made up of seven people Floyd didn't know, and Tabby. "All that we can do now is hope that you return safely."

"We will," Floyd said. "You have our word." Ren nodded with him, uncharacteristically silent. She tended to forget her jovial, smarmy nature in times that required her actual effort, and Floyd loved her to death for that. "Everyone is ready? Once we're out of this garage, we're out. Not coming back until we've gotten out of the Hub. If for some reason you don't think you're cut out for the job, you can go now. No hard feelings, no questions asked."

Everyone looked at the other person nervously, looking for anyone who wanted to speak up.

"We are with you," Vanessa said after a moment's silence. The others nodded at once, Tabby being one of the first to do so.

"Okay," Floyd said. "Pile in, and let's get on the road."

**###**

Tabby had access to a variety of different magical spells, a vast well of magical strength, a Pokemon that could conjure fire hot enough to rip through solid steel and punch just as hard, and a group of heavily-armed friends sitting in the car with her.

So why on earth was she still so anxious?

"Calm before the storm," Ren said after she'd apparently voiced her sentiment out loud. "It's normal, don't worry about it. If we're lucky, there won't be a storm for you to have been nervous about in the first place."

Tabby nodded, still twiddling her thumbs as Floyd drove on in silence.

"Turn right here," Griffin instructed, glancing up from the computer he and Vanessa were sharing. "Nessa, give him the card."

"Card?" Ren asked.

"It's a security measure Olivier put in place to keep tighter watch on the city," Vanessa explained, passing the plastic card into Floyd's fingers. "Permanent residents of a year or more have to have one. It allows her to keep tabs of public places you might go to by logging the location of where you used it." She scowled. "In reality, it's just an excuse for Olivier's dogs to arrest you if you're getting in her way."

"Hello Big Brother," Ren muttered. That was probably another one of their Earth references. As soon as this was over, Tabby made a mental promise to get every little cultural reference out of Ren that she could before it was too late.

They followed the road a few more blocks on Griffin's instructions until they came to the entrance of a parking garage. Tabby had been with the scouts when they'd found the perfect spot; it was situated just enough south of the Northern Quarter that the city began to slope downwards to Central and even further to the Southern Quarter. It had a commanding view of Central Tower, and even better, the Hub. Floyd inserted the card at the entrance, the reader flashing green before raising the bar to let them in.

"Whose card did we just use?" Tabby asked.

"I tracked down those people that harassed the businessmen you guys saw," Griffin said. "One of them was kind enough to lend me his card for as long as I needed it."

"Why, Griffin," Ren said, glancing back at him. "I believe you've broken the law."

He grunted. "The law under Olivier is no law I'll follow."

Floyd drove the car all the way up to the top of the parking garage, stopping it in one of the spots on the edge near the barrier. Central Tower's lights were dimmed, as were the numerous complexes that surrounded it. One building stood out from that though, with the giant satellite dish and the numerous smaller ones jutting up from the roof. The Hub's satellites had lights on them that blinked red every so often, probably to signal they were still functional.

"Alright," Vanessa said, letting out a breath. "Let's see what we've got on the feed. You got that scanner tuned like we told you to, right?" Floyd turned in his seat and nodded. "Tune to this channel…" She read the frequency, Floyd twisting the knobs until static came through the speakers. Slowing his turning, it turned into muffled language, and then was crystal clear.

"Perfect," Vanessa said. She checked her watch. "Okay. All silence, we need to listen. Griffin, what are the codes?"

He held up a hand, the other scratching at his graying beard. The chatter on the radio was indiscriminate. Tabby had no idea what it meant, but she was sure from the likes of Jonas and what not that the job would involve a lot more immaturity. But the channels were kept quiet except for the steady stream of check-in commands and notes from high-ranking officers. Her eyes flitted from the tight line of Griffin's face to Floyd's dark eyes, illuminated blue from the light of the scanner.

"Clear channel A1648. Clear channel A1648." Griffin's head rose a little. "All units, rotation in one-thirty, repeat, one-thirty. All units rotation in one-thirty…"

"One-thirty," Griffin repeated. "One hour, thirty minutes." He looked right at Floyd. "That's how long you've got before you have fresh guards on the scene."

Floyd nodded and pressed a few buttons on the center console of the car. Once that was done, he put his mask back on and spoke. "Test, test, test." His voice rang out from not only the mask, but also the speakers of the car as well. He nodded again and put his mask back down. "This thing should stay connected unless we get deep underground," he explained. "We'll keep in touch the entire time if we can. For now, sit tight, touch nothing, and don't leave the car unless absolutely necessary. We'll be back."

"What if you go over an hour and thirty minutes?" Tabby asked. "What if…"

"The screen," he tapped the center console and the silhouette of a man came up on the screen, complete with a heartbeat line behind him and different lines that all registered as healthy, "will show you all my vitals. It won't disconnect when we go below ground, I'm sure of that. If they go into the red for more than a minute, touch this button. It's the emergency recall. It'll get you back to Sanctuary in one piece."

"You'd have us leave you behind?" Griffin asked. "If Olivier catches you and manages to subdue you, you'll wish you were dead."

"If Ren and I are captured with absolutely no way out, I will kill us both to spare both us and your cause," Floyd said. "I've heard the stories over the past month, and I don't intend to let either of us be taken alive."

Ice slivered down Tabby's back with how coolly he delivered that, even more so when Ren merely nodded, as if she wasn't scared she'd have to die rather than be tortured.

"Is everyone clear on the plan?" More nods. "Alright. Ren?"

"Right." She reached forward with a paw and tapped the Pokeball at his belt, zipping into it with a flash of red light.

"I'll be back soon," Floyd said, unbuckling his seatbelt.

"Floyd." Tabby hadn't realized how dry her throat was until she spoke, but she spoke nevertheless. He turned back to her, the question in his eyes. "Be careful."

He smirked. "I am always careful."

He pushed open the car door, stepping out into the cold, his cloak fluttering in the wind behind him. He stepped onto the guardrail and looked down at the city, spreading his arms to his side.

"What is he…?" Griffin began.

Ever so slowly, Floyd leaned forward and then fell forwards off of the edge. Tabby's heart ran a marathon in record time as he fell, then did it again in relief as he soared back into view, hundreds of meters away, the black cloak stiffened upon his back like the wings of a Swoobat.

"Good luck," Tabby whispered, watching him take to the skies.

**###**

He'd forgotten it; the rush of the wind underneath his cloak, the feeling of freedom in an open sky. Once upon a time, he likely would have been too exhilarated or too nervous of falling to focus, but he'd done this hundreds of thousands of times before, and today was no different. The mask stopped the wind from whipping at his eyes, the lenses letting him see with 100% clarity where he was going. The only sounds were the rushing winds outside of his mask and the low chattering of Vanessa, Griffin, Tabby, and the others in the car far behind him.

"Can you all hear me?" Floyd asked, eyes still focused on the growing Hub building.

"Yes, we can," Tabby's voice rang in his ears, the quality so good, she might as well have been right next to him. "Always careful, huh?"

"Sorry," Floyd said, a small smile on his face. "I'm approaching the Hub now. Any updates?"

"Nothing," Griffin said. "You're in the clear."

"Got it." He tucked his arms and dove, reopening them a few moments before he would have slammed face-first through a roof. He gained altitude and speed as he really opened up, cutting through the air as he wove and leaned away from buildings and glided over skybridges. One more dive took him down to building level, the gentle hills and slopes leading to the central plaza growing closer and closer as he approached. The Hub was directly in front of him now, satellites blinking in their rhythmic patterns from across the street as Floyd circled the edge of a city block. Choosing a building directly across from the Hub, he landed without a sound on the frozen gravel of the rooftop, jogging out of his landing to lean against the edge and watch. The patrols had been doubled from the looks of it; no man was on his own outside, at least accompanied by another, and Floyd was willing to bet it was like that on the inside too.

"Okay, girl," Floyd said, releasing Ren from her Pokeball. "What's the plan?"

Her red eyes widened as she peered over the edge. "Doubled patrols."

"I noticed. Shouldn't be a problem."

"Shouldn't. Unless they know we're coming."

He hadn't even considered that. Nerevor had still made no apparent progress in his little investigation. Could someone have let slip to Olivier that they were coming?

"No," Floyd said after a moment's pause. "If Olivier knew we were coming, we wouldn't have gotten close to Central to begin with. We just need to act as though patrols are one man, just like we planned."

Ren nodded. "Then our best bet is probably going in through the top floor." She lifted a paw, Floyd following it all the way to the Hub's roof. It wasn't a large building by any means, four floors or so above ground. The giant satellites remained motionless in the winter's winds, but nestled between them…

"A roof access," Floyd said. "Everything needs to be repaired eventually. I'll let you out when we cross."

He recalled her again and leapt off the roof, spreading his arms once more. The cloak stiffened and caught the gusts of wind from below, and he was soaring above the streets as silent as a ghost. The lights were nowhere near bright enough to make him visible, whether from the moon or the streetlights below. At best, the men would look up and see a giant Pokemon crossing overhead.

Still, the situation made him hold his breath instinctively, trying to stop from making too much noise. He had to get closer than he wanted to to the patrolling men. Letting Ren out was going to be a bit of a challenge.

Touching down on the Hub's roof, his boots made no sound as he rushed over to the roof access door. Tapping his temple, the environmental scanner in the suit began analyzing the door for silent alarms as Floyd let Ren out once more, the crack of the Pokeball hopefully hidden by another rushing gust of wind.

_Door disconnected from internal alarm system: safe._

The electronic lock on the door buzzed and then released as Floyd put is hand on the handle. "We're in. Silence."

Ren nodded and crept in behind him as the door shut with a thud. They began to cautiously descend the stairwell, Floyd not risking deactivating the scanner for a second. He was using the heat-seeking vision now, and he'd be able to see their enemies through the walls and floors before they saw them hopefully. They would still be able to hear though, so Floyd made an effort to move in perfect silence, taking care not to rustle or brush against his belt. As they descended, Floyd knew that Ren was most definitely the best for the job. Besides knowing what she was doing, she moved with the silence of a predatory animal, one of the few instincts that hadn't been lost on her after all the years of living in a big city.

They found themselves at the end of the stairwell, and unluckily, it was their first problem. The stairs didn't continue down to the sub-levels. They'd have to enter the Hub's first floor and go down from there.

"Plan?" Ren whispered.

Floyd's mouth was in a thin line behind his mask. The Hub's first floor was a greeting area of sorts. Reception desk in the center of the lobby, potted greenery, that sort of thing. The only problem was that the first floor was arguably the biggest of the four. Above the lobby were catwalks that presumably wrapped all the way around the floor and provided a clear vantage point for the guards to look down on them from.

That was all bad. The fourteen guards on the catwalks made it much worse.

"One at reception, fourteen above and middling around in the lobby," Floyd whispered. "If we open this door and walk out, they're going to see us." He tapped his ear. "Recon, do you copy?"

"Loud and clear," Vanessa's voice rang out. "What do you need?"

"We need an environmental distraction," Floyd said. "Nothing major, just some really strong winds."

Ren smirked as she got his meaning, hunkering down to wait with him. At the same time, he unclipped one of the pouches on his belt and pulled from it a device no bigger than a stopwatch; a grenade of sorts.

"Party Crashers," Floyd muttered to himself, judging the grenade's weight.

"Sending the winds," Vanessa said, her voice strained.

Send them they did. He heard the howling and then the roaring of the winds even from at the bottom of the stairwell. The enhanced hearing provided by the mask let him hear the commotion in the lobby from the increase in winds. One shot.

He cracked the door open a tiny bit, took aim at the first light he saw, and threw the Party Crasher. The grenade stuck to the light as though it were magnetized, and the light sparked once before it immediately went dim. As did the next, and the one after that, and the one after that…

In under a minute, the first floor was completely dark, the Party Crasher wiping out the lighting on the floor in its entirety.

"Ah, hell," one of the voices in the lobby groaned. "Youngest has to go make sure the breakers aren't busted! Gotta head upstairs n' shit." The guards began arguing as they stumbled around in the dark, the winds still howling outside.

Floyd tapped Ren and started forward wordlessly, switching the lenses to night vision. Ren could see easy in the dark, following closely at his heels. His head on a swivel, he looked from side to side as they were almost at the sub-level stair door. Another few—

Floyd stuck his hand out behind him, Ren coming to a pointed stop. A flashlight beam was making its way towards the both of them, and with it a rather disgruntled guard. Floyd tapped Ren's horn and she backed up slowly, her mouth grabbing on to the ends of Floyd's cloak. Slowly they backed away perpendicular to the guard's path, Ren standing as still as possible as Floyd raised his arms to his sides, the cloak following the movements and drawing up into glide position.

His heart hammering in his chest, Floyd watched as the guard stepped closer to their position, mumbling under his breath and scratching his nose as his flashlight waved from side to side aimlessly. If he took one good look to the left, he'd be able to make out Floyd from the darkness…

He stopped.

Floyd dared not even move a muscle, dared not even swallow.

The flashlight beam came up as the guard seemed to look confused. Floyd's heart was in his throat, and he could practically feel Ren tensing, preparing to pounce if need be.

The guard sneezed loudly, earning blessings from the completely dark floor, then continued on his way to the stairwell.

Letting go of the breath he'd been holding, Floyd moved once more towards the door unimpeded. By the grace of God or Arceus or whoever was watching him that night, it swung open without so much as a creak, and Floyd watched for a split second longer the room as Ren slipped through the gap and filed besides him in the stairwell.

"Jesus," Ren whispered, breathless. "Nice call with the Crasher."

"Thanks." He let her catch her breath for a moment. "Haven't done this in a while."

"And we certainly need the practice," Ren said. "C'mon."

"You're going to pass a door on your way down," Vanessa said. "That's sub-level 1. One more flight and you'll be at 2. Should be marked."

They passed it as she said they would and found themselves at the door. "Give me a second," Floyd said. "Griffin, how we doing on time?"

"Plenty. One hour, five minutes."

Floyd nodded and switched to the environmental scanner, searching for silent alarms when…

"Vanessa, I thought you said this was a server farm," Floyd said.

"It is. Why?"

"So then why is it that there's something in this room that's powerful enough to set off my warning alarms?" Floyd frowned as he looked at the giant red message in the center of the HUD:

_**EXTREMELY HIGH LEVELS OF ENERGY AHEAD! PROCEED WITH EXTREME CAUTION!** _

"I…I don't know," Vanessa responded. "Maybe it's because of all of the Porygon Olivier has. They love computers and servers. Maybe there's a Porygon-Z down there."

She didn't sound sure, but Floyd wasn't about to turn around now. "Alright. Ren, if I tell you to run, run." She nodded as the silent alarms were killed. "Okay, let's go."

Just another crack the door was opened to allow them to slip through. The sight before them made Ren swear underneath her breath.

"What's the matter?" Griffin asked.

"A number of things," Floyd whispered, pulling Ren back into the stairwell.

The "server farm" was indeed a server farm, but it wasn't exactly small. Floyd had been expecting a lot given that it was censoring an entire city's worth of data, but the "room" was more like a library. It was completely open in the center, a crossroads of sorts splitting off in four different directions. More catwalks spanned the depths where the actual server stacks were held, the lights from their combined systems more than enough to expose them to the numerous guards who were roaming the catwalks. He relayed all of this information to the team in the car, and for a few minutes, everyone was stumped, including himself.

"We can't use anymore Party Crashers," Ren said. "If we do, we're gonna take down the Hub, and we need it to send out that message, right?"

"If the Hub goes down before the message is sent, Olivier will just cut the lines entirely, or do something much worse," Floyd said. "It won't be like anything will hold her back at that point." he looked up grimly. "We're going to have to subdue them all first, then go for the uplink."

"You're going to kill them?" Tabby's voice asked. Even in his ear, she sounded uncomfortable, and he could almost see the look in her eyes.

"Not unless we have to," Floyd said. He produced another item from another pouch on his belt; a wireless headset made specifically for Ren's head. She fitted it and linked up with Floyd's suit, testing it before standing up. "We need to plan this out." He followed the major circuitry in the walls with the scanner, looking down below him to the floor, across the catwalks. "Seventeen total. There are four guards by an emergency button, one on each. Two buttons far north, one east, one west, far sides. Their radios aren't as strong as ours. They're not going to reach upstairs, but those buttons will send out the emergency signal through the entire plaza."

"Them first, then the rest?" Ren asked.

Floyd nodded. "They're slacking. Three groups clumped up…lower west, four. Lower east, five. Lower north, three. One walking away from us on the left walk. You take the right, I'll take left. Move."

He opened the door, the two of them flowing onto the catwalks to stalk their prey.


	13. Chapter 11: Assault and Battery

**Chapter 11: Assault and Battery**

The first man he took walked with a strange limp. Perhaps he'd sprained his ankle. Broken it, even. He held his gun loosely. That was a mistake.

Every muscle in his body seized at once as Floyd grabbed him from behind. A strong hand clasped over his nose and mouth, the other arm closing tight around his throat. The blood choke. Something easy, something signature. Quiet. The man thrashed as he began to panic, slapping at Floyd's head and finding only the polymer of his armor.

Gone. He'd live.

"Move up," he whispered. The two of them moved to the corners that would lead off to the left and right. On both sides, the men were patrolling a little too far away from their buttons, eager to get off their shift. Floyd looked to his right and saw one of the guards walking towards Ren, her body hidden round the corner. "Close right."

"Close left," Ren responded. "Your call."

The man closest Ren looked over the railing as he took another step to the corner.

"Now."

A sharp turn. Floyd's forehead smashed into the guard's. Again broke the nose, and his fist found his temple. The guard slumped into his arms. In a blur, Ren reared on her hind legs, her forelimb moving in a horrifically fast Brutal Swing. He would have fallen to the ground in a heap of equipment and noise, but Ren's well-trained instincts helped her to fall over him and grab the collar of his vest with her teeth, lowering him to the ground without a sound. "Down," she said.

"Move up."

The two of them rounded their corners and headed far left and far right. The lights, at least, were dimmed in the huge server farm, a muted blue instead of fluorescent white. That was good. He turned on the environmental scanner, stopping to count. Three down. Fourteen more to go.

"Cluster of four beneath you," Ren whispered. "What do you want to do?"

"Straight down?"

"Straight down."

"What about the two far north?"

"Lines of sight," Ren said. "Can't sneak."

"Quick Attack, KO both."

"That's going to alert the others."

"I'm planning on it. On my call." He mounted the railing. The scanner picked up their heat signatures. None of them were ready at all. "Ready…go."

He vaulted over the railing, not bothering to extend his cloak, and wrecked a guard from above. He folded like a chair beneath his heavy boots with a startled shout of pain quickly ended by Floyd's fist to his temple. Time turned to amber as he surged forward, his fist flying into another guard's gut, an uppercut to send him slamming into a metal pole with all speed. He ducked under the butt of a swung gun and kicked out a knee, his elbow swinging around to crack into the guard's forehead. A sweep of his leg brought him around fully to rock the last guard off his feet and into the air, Floyd's hand clamping around his mouth and forcing him headfirst to meet the cold ground of the server farm. He wasted no time checking the men and instead leapt back up to the catwalk, sparing the use of the ladder. He landed soundlessly on the metal, mounting the rail once again to watch the startled men spurred into panic. Five coming his way, three that he could see going towards Ren.

"Three down, three down," Ren repeated. A man wailed in pain. "Four, four down."

"One more headed your way," Floyd said as the three men in the back turned towards the sounds of Ren holding the stairs. "I got these five."

The men headed towards him were so preoccupied with the unconscious, limp bodies in front of them that not a single one of them noticed Floyd glide over their heads, his cloak uninhibited by wind. He landed behind them like a ghost and snatched the one furthest back, his pleas for help silenced by Floyd's thick glove.

One of the guards turned on instinct and shouted loudly, raising his gun.

Floyd slammed the guard he was holding into the side of a server stack and raised his right hand. From his palm shot a wire tipped with a razor sharp hook. It sank with a meaty thud into the guard's shoulder, causing him to let out a frightened yell as Floyd pulled him towards him. The other three were too late on the draw, and Floyd already had his hands on their friend before they could react. He disappeared behind the rows of server stacks into darkness, silencing the man he had a hold of. He left his body in the middle of the row and flicked back on the environmental scanner as he leapt to the top of a stack, watching the heat signatures fan out around him. Two of them had wisely stayed together, while the last one was shaking uncontrollably, flicking his gun around every which way unable to contain his trembling.

Floyd dropped in front of him and crushed the barrel of his gun. "Scream," he commanded.

The guard's shriek of absolute terror whipped the other two guards into a sprint to find him. "Ren, two coming down center."

"Watching…I got the far one." Their footsteps echoed loudly just around the corner. "Move!"

Floyd stepped from around the corner and got yet another barrel in his grip. It was crushed in an instant, the guard screaming for his life and swinging futilely at Floyd with his fists. The other tried to shoot but got swept off his feet by a flash of white fur. His attempt to get back up was stopped by that same blur zipping atop him and slamming his head into the floor.

"HELP!" the last guard screamed, taking another wide swing at Floyd. He caught it on his forearm, pushed the arm away, and then pushed the guard back. Ren's sturdy form was just below the back of his knees, and the guard toppled backwards, arms raised in front of him to ward off the terrifying sight of Floyd leaping into the air to descend on top of him.

Silence.

_Seventeen casualties. Zero deaths. Room secure._

"Secure," Floyd said aloud, straightening up from on top of the guard. "Ren, round them up and bring them to the uplink."

"Yes, Boss."

The Absol ran off as Floyd took two collars in hand and started moving bodies towards the center of the room.

**###**

Seventeen men.

_Seventeen._

Floyd and Ren had made them look like children playing pretend.

In a straight-up fight, Tabby was sure that anyone in the car with her could have easily wiped the floor with those men. They had magic, after all. But Floyd and Ren had used nothing but wit, communication and a little bit of enhanced technology to clear a room. Bonus, no alarm was raised. The channels were still clear, if not for the odd talk of the storm that knocked out a little bit of power in the Hub.

Tabby didn't believe it. She had to have been dreaming, right? No, she definitely wasn't dreaming, she realized after pinching herself.

Excitement threatened to burst through her chest as she finally realized how important it was that Floyd had just cleared that room.

In about five minutes, Floyd was going to help Snowpoint take a gigantic step towards the freedom it finally deserved.

Eagerly, she leaned forward in her seat to further watch through Floyd's eyes and listen to his and Ren's conversation.

**###**

"That got pretty hairy for a second there," Ren said as Floyd finished tying up the last guard to his fellows. They sat together in a giant column of bleeding, broken people, the worst of bleeding plugged and everyone stripped of weapons. "I had to Quick Attack up the stairs and then down the stairs again. Wild."

"Wild," Floyd agreed. He ran his hands over his best friend's fur, checking for any wounds the heat of the moment would have glossed over in her mind. "You're all set. Nice job."

Ren winked. "Haven't lost my touch yet, Boss." She nodded towards what was seemingly the master computer. "Shall we?"

They stepped forward, Floyd drawing the USB out of his pocket and plugging it into the port. "Vanessa, we're in."

"I…I see. Wait for the program to break through some of the encryption and for the system to tell you it's done. Then turn around and get the hell out of there."

"Copy." A console flashed on the screen, walls of text shooting by one after another as the program did its work.

"Boss." Floyd looked down at Ren, who was looking back and forth like there were more enemies around. "Remember how the suit said there were dangerous levels of energy in here or whatever? Well, now that we're in the center of the room…I don't think it's coming from in here."

Floyd frowned, bringing up the environmental scanner. "It says it is though. It's picking up something."

"Hey, Vanessa," Ren said. "How many sub-levels does this place have?"

"Schematics says one more underneath," Vanessa replied. "What's your idea?"

"Maybe whatever was causing your sensor to go wild is underneath us," Ren suggested. "We already have one problem," she gestured to the entire room, "and I think Nerevor would appreciate us taking care of a potential other problem."

He thought on that for a moment, glancing back at the walls of text still scrolling down on the console. "Time?"

"45 minutes left," Griffin said. "It's too risky. I'd say leave it, we can worry about it later."

"But if Olivier really does have some kind of trump card down there, we need to know what it is before it's too late," Vanessa said. "Can either of you go while the other watches the USB?"

"I can," Floyd said. "Only if you think you can handle it, Ren."

She snorted. "These guys aren't going anywhere, are they? I'll be fine."

"Let me know the second anything odd starts happening," Floyd said. "I'll be back soon."

He turned and jogged away from the main server, heading for the stairwell.

**###**

The intercom buzzed.

"You have news?" Olivier asked, glaring at a computer screen. No other alerts, no emails, no instant reports, no explosions, no noise.

"No ma'am, nothing. The Hub guards want you to know that there will be a delay in shift changes due to the weather, but that was all."

Olivier frowned. "What? What weather?"

"They…they said that they lost lights in the first floor and were still having power issues due to the strong winds picking up outside. They sent a few guards up to the top of the building to check the breaker circuits…"

Olivier stopped listening.

Idiots.

_Idiots!_

_IDIOTS!_

She struggled to keep her breathing under control as she pressed the talk button. "Did they, by _chance,_ send anyone downstairs to the sub-levels to ensure _complete security of the building?"_

"I…I don't know, ma'am, but—"

"WELL FIND OUT! If I don't hear from them in the next five minutes, I want my car pulled up out front and any traffic cleared en route to the Hub. Do it now!" She let go of the talk button and the secretary didn't respond at all, Olivier nervously standing up and beginning to pace in her room. Desperately she tried to think of any situation that involved the Hub turning out well and good.

She could think of none.

**###**

Floyd grunted as he pushed the heavy sub-level 3 door in, the thing swinging on its hinges silently. Like he was walking blind in front of a chasm, he could feel the depth of the darkness in front of him without even using night vision.

"What's going on in there, Boss? Anything?" Ren asked.

"Nothing yet," Floyd said. "Just give me a minute…" He switched to the environmental scanner and looked for a circuit leading to a wall…there! He stepped to the wall closest to him and fumbled around until giant, blazing fluorescents snapped on overhead, filling the room with light.

"What the hell?" he asked under his breath.

"What do you see?" Ren asked.

"I…don't know," Floyd said, simply dumbfounded. "Recon?"

"We don't know either," Tabby said, wonder in her voice as well. "I've never seen anything like it."

It was a laboratory. An idle one as of now, but it definitely was one. Gigantic metal tubes sloped from the ceiling and hung off the walls, all of them threading down into one pit where an odd structure made of marble and crystal lay, bathing in a strange crimson liquid that looked ominously like blood. Floyd's armor could adapt and allow him to survive in frigid and burning environments. Though he felt fine on the inside, the armor registered the temperature around him as "dangerously freezing".

"I definitely found where the warnings were coming from," Floyd said for Ren's sake, walking closer to the pit. "Ren, it's…I don't know what it is."

"Is that…blood?" Vanessa asked as he peered into the pit.

"I think so," Floyd responded. "Ren, how's the uplink?"

"Fine. You're talking about blood in a pit?"

"I'm investigating." He ignored the pit of blood, the strange construction and all of the pipes pumping in…whatever it was to the construction. There was a main desk of sorts with a ton of different terminals that seemed to be off that overlooked the entire pit. He managed to turn it on, the large screen flickering to life before his eyes. Whoever was last using it had plainly forgotten to sign out or just hadn't put a password on the computer, because everything Floyd could have wanted was on display to him.

**Current User: PHAN07**

Begin Simulated Tests

NOTES: Project Lysandre (INCOMPLETE)

NOTES: Project Failsafe (INCOMPLETE)

Launch Project Failsafe (UNAVAILABLE)

"What is all that?" Tabby asked. "What…what is 'Project Failsafe'?"

"Whatever it is, doesn't sound good," Ren said.

"Agreed," Floyd said. He highlighted Project Lysandre and pressed enter.

**P** **roject Lysandre**

Lysandre was the top-ranking member of Team Flare, a criminal organization based in Kalos. His goal was to eradicate all possible human and Pokemon life on Planet Earth. Subject was terminated seemingly by his own hand upon defeat in Kalos. Subject is irrelevant to current project proceedings. Subject made use of one "Ultimate Weapon" to achieve said goal of life eradication. Despite constant trials and live testing, only two results have been confirmed. First, that the weapon is indeed the same used to end the Great War, and that the weapon may only be charged using the energy of live beings.

NOTES: Unfortunately, a device to the scale of the original Ultimate Weapon cannot be constructed. Only bits and pieces of the machine were recovered from the site of the incident in Kalos. We have constructed, however, a smaller device that may be mobilized by truck or plane. If you'll excuse us, Lysandre was thinking _too_ big. We believe this device is just the right size.

"Picture mode," Floyd said, eyes almost unable to comprehend what he was reading.

"Floyd, what is it?" Tabby asked. "You sound like…you sound like you have an idea."

"I do," Floyd said as he re-read it the notes again, the lenses taking pictures and storing them for later. "And I pray to God that I'm wrong."

He highlighted Project Failsafe.

**Project Failsafe**

We developed Project Failsafe after you expressed your concerns that over our not being able to recreate the Ultimate Weapon. As you can see, the weapon does not require active life energy, merely to be tainted with blood. Where or how the blood is acquired and for how long it has…gestated is irrelevant.

Step 1: Mobilization of your choice. Suggested: plane, though a truck may be more convenient for Snowpoint.

Step 2: The device is primed through remote control or manual activation (see schematics before use)

Step 3: By remotely activating once more or allowing the timer to stall to 00:00, the device detonates.

Due to the unique nature of the weapon, we are now calling it a bomb rather than a weapon, because it can only be used once. The core is actually raw energy waiting to be released; **one singular bomb has the capacity to level** **the entirety of** **Snowpoint. Choose very carefully before priming for use.**

**READ: ONCE ACTIVATED, THE BOMB CANNOT BE DEACTIVATED. DECIDE CAREFULLY BEFORE PRIMING FOR USE.**

"Jesus," Floyd said. "There's a reason why the alarm went off in my suit after all. Ren, they have a bomb down here that could level Snowpoint."

"Level?" Ren asked. "As…as in completely-wipe-off-the-map kind of leveling!?"

"Yes," Floyd said, still taking pictures of all of the information. "Remind you of a device back home?"

"Oh my shit," Ren replied. "An atom bomb. They're trying to figure out how to create an atom bomb."

"I'm coming to you right now," Floyd said, trying to keep his voice level. He certainly didn't need everyone else panicking, though he could hear the murmurs about what exactly an atom bomb was over the mics. "Guys, I need you to focus up here. I'm bringing back everything they had on this and it's not a lot. That's very good; they haven't even come close to weaponizing it."

" _Yet!"_ Tabby finished. "Floyd, your Earth has bombs that can level cities just…laying around!?"

"Well, yes and no," Floyd said. "They're under lock-and-key and using them is forbidden worldwide. Only problem is, it seems like this Earth doesn't even know how to create weapons of that magnitude, and you can't ban what you don't know. This information has to go straight to the League. After that, we're leaving."

He left the main computer and dashed for the stairwell, leaving Olivier's weapon of mass destruction behind.

**###**

"Do not announce that I am on the way," Olivier commanded to her security escort. "If there are intruders, they likely have dealt with security in some way. It is equally as likely that they have access to our communications."

She grit her teeth furiously as she stepped into the back of the car. She hated to make her presence known to the intruder (though she had a very good idea of who it truly was), but the life of the leader of Snowpoint City, her guards had reminded her, was too great a risk not to take precautions. A procession of two cars sandwiched her own between two cars in the front, and they took off from Central Tower at all speed.

"As fast as you can without killing us," Olivier commanded. "We'll catch the little thief before he has a chance to defend himself."

A nerve started going in her jaw. What would her enemies be doing in the Hub? The easiest answer was the block she had put on Snowpoint's internet. Would they be trying to send a message to the League? Fine. Let them. Any damage they did could be reversed there.

But what if…

What if they descended down one more floor?

What if they knew about Project Failsafe?

Her fist clenched, the fingernails digging into the meat of her palm so deep that she began drawing blood.

"Did you fools not hear what I said?" Olivier snapped at the driver. "Faster! _NOW!"_

"Y-yes ma'am!" The driver said, cringing away from her furious presence in the backseat.

It wasn't until Olivier felt her own blood running off of her hand and onto her coat that she saw the aura of her own power, an ugly, ghastly thing that bled as black as the night sky.

She'd almost slipped…lost it.

She reigned the horrific power under control, vowing to only use it when she had Floyd, Nerevor, Tabitha…whoever was responsible, at her mercy…

And vowed to make them beg for death.

**###**

As one, the entire recon team recoiled, flinching as though they'd been slapped.

"Arceus…w-what is that?" Vanessa asked. Her hands began shaking uncontrollably, shudders travelling up her frame.

"It's her," Griffin said, his face paling. "Floyd, listen to us! You need to leave now!"

"What?" Floyd asked. They watched him look at Ren, likely in confusion. "Why? What's happening?"

"I don't know how but she knows, Olivier knows," Tabby said, gripping the back of the driver's seat and leaning forward. The streets were still dark by the Hub, not a hint of movement there…

No. There were one…no, two, three…five cars. All of them heading towards the Hub, and unless she missed her guess, all of them from Central Tower.

In horror, she watched as they rounded the corner and bustled down the snow-covered streets towards the Hub's front entrance.

**###**

"Ren, we're leaving," Floyd said, unplugging the USB. Through sheer luck, the extra pictures and evidence of Olivier's incomprehensible war crimes hadn't slowed the upload of the rest of the pleas for help to the League, and the transfer had finished.

"What do you want me to do?" Ren asked, crouching as though ready for battle.

"Don't come back out." He summoned her back into her Pokeball, and luckily her stubborn nature to do what she wanted didn't show itself. Maybe she'd felt it in her horn. Either explanation was good enough for him. Pocketing the ball, he ran to the door and took the steps two at a time all the way to the first floor access, stopping just before the door. He strained his ears, the advanced hearing sounding through the door and concrete of the building to listen into the main lobby. Regular chatter, nothing out of the ordinary…

One of the guards raised his voice in alarm. Then another, then another.

"Ma'am? To what do we owe the—"

"Shut up and lock down this building! Everything! You fools have a thief under your noses!" A loud smack and someone hit the floor, the other guards whispering in hushed tones that not even the augmented hearing could detect. "Count yourselves lucky I don't incinerate you."

"Ma'am, we didn't know that there was someone in the building," the guard who had presumably been slapped to the ground said, his voice choked as though he was going to cry for his life. "P-please…"

"If you want even the slightest chance of surviving past tonight, I suggest you all pull up your frilly stockings and march down to the server farm! Don't _dare_ come back until you bring me the thief's body!"

"Yes, ma'am!" came the cry of affirmation. There was a rush of boots on the tiled floor. They were all coming towards him, the fourteen from before plus a few extras that Olivier must have brought with her.

Floyd pressed a button on his right gauntlet and heard the gasps from the car that confirmed it began to move on its own. "Relax. I'm calling it to my position," Floyd said. He'd have to time this just right.

Whoever was at the front of the pack reached the door. Just as he pulled back to swing it open, Floyd tucked his shoulder and rammed the door with all his strength.

It was more strength than he'd bargained for, the door wrenched off its hinges and crashing into the first three guards. Above their wails of pain, Floyd heard Olivier shriek in outrage as he vaulted over their prone bodies, "STOP THAT MAN!"

Floyd turned in mid-air towards them all and saw the barrels of guns lifted towards him, ready to tear him to bloody shreds or empty clips trying. One chance. He took a deep breath and reached to the depths of his soul, his mind emptying except for one crucial word.

_Flash._

The sun on his chest, which was as midnight black as the rest of the armor when dormant, instantly lit up with the force of a thousand suns. A radiant white light burst forth and expanded over the entire floor, covering it with a brightness that made the light show he'd put on below Central Tower seem tame in comparison. His mask protected him from the flare of light; the other men, not so lucky. Olivier too shrieked in pain, though it was much, much louder than the rest of the men who likely felt as though they'd stared at the sun after coming out of a dark room. Maybe she just wasn't used to being in pain. Whatever the case, Floyd took his chance and sprinted past the blinded security guards, shoving a few to the ground and slamming through the blocked doors on the Hub's main floor. He ran across the street as voices echoed from places unseen, the cold air rushing down his lungs as he shot the grapnel hook to the ledge of the roof high above. Rocketing to the top, Floyd narrowly avoided a few gunshots and winced as few dinged against the sides of his armor, certain to leave a few bruises but nothing he hadn't felt before.

He soared in the air for what felt like hours but what was really only a few minutes, not daring to look behind him even as he met up with the car as Olivier's scream of outrage seemed to echo from the Hub they'd long left behind, shaking the very fabrics of the world itself.

By the time Olivier and her guards had recovered, Floyd and the others were long gone, the car rushing down the snow-shod streets of Snowpoint back to Sanctuary.


	14. Chapter 12: Motivations

**Chapter 12: Motivations**

"Floyd."

Slowly, existence became not a black shell of nothingness, but rather a hazy field of a multicolored void. An entire world before his eyes, yet muted and distorted beyond his imagination.

An entire world…

"Floyd."

Who was speaking? He knew the voice, a woman's voice. But he couldn't place a face.

"Floyd…find...are you?"

The words were disjointed, random…but was the woman trying to tell him something? The void began closing in. It was harder to breath. A frantic beeping became clear to his ears.

"Find…stay...where…are…"

The beeping became even more frantic. The void's colors became muted, instead of a vibrant landscape of green rolling hills and vivid blue waters, cloudless skies and a beating sun…there was only darkness.

Darkness.

"FLOYD!"

One second he was dreaming and another he was panicking, thrown to the wolves of his own dreams. The driver's seat, what was happening, something was happening, don't panic, you're in control in control in control in control pull up pull up PULL UP!

"PULL UP!"

He fought the controls as much as he could without breaking the handle off completely from the console. A brassy roar that could roll off of mountains and instill the fear only recognizable to the primal, animalistic side of all living things shook the cabin of the car. A thundering vibration made the teeth shake in his mouth, shook the heart that was beating frantically in his ribcage. A flash of purple brighter than the most intense of supernovae enveloped the car, alarms alarms alarms, damage to all sides, immediate repairs, threat eminent, weapons down, falling falling falling _falling falling falling._

"IT'S ON TOP OF US!"

"REN!"

He jerked the controls all the way to the right and the vehicle obliged.

But not before that terrible thing, the demon that glided through the night as easily a fish did water, soared in front of them, beak made of gold yawning wide to tear them apart.

The vortex of pure energy ripped from its maw, and Floyd's head slammed against the dashboard.

_BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!_

"Boss. Wake up! _Say something!"_

"BOSS!"

Floyd's eyes ripped open and he sat up immediately, power flooding his body and manifesting in his hands. "What happened? Trouble?" He glanced over at his partner, whose fur was standing on end, her ruby-red eyes wide as dinner plates.

"You," Ren said after a moment, closing her mouth. "You…look at yourself."

Floyd couldn't stop himself from breathing heavily, eyes roving down to look at his body. He'd fallen asleep in his armor, apparently too tired to take the damn thing off. At least he hadn't slept in a full mask. He took off one of the gauntlets and felt his face, his hand moistening with sweat that likely wasn't just from how warm he'd been in the armor.

"I…had a nightmare?" Floyd said.

"You don't sound sure, but yeah," Ren said. "It was pretty bad."

"How bad?"

"You knocked me off the bed and then you were shuddering. Then this," she tapped the sun on his chest, "started glowing like you were powering up. Figured it would be a little bit of a disservice to blow up Sanctuary after all the work we've done for 'em."

Despite his still-hammering heart, Floyd smiled and drooped his head. "Yeah, you'd be right." He glanced back at her and still saw the worry in her eyes. "Hey." He placed his hand on her head and mussed the fur affectionately. "I'm okay."

Ren closed the slight distance between them on the bed, nuzzling his neck. "I don't believe you," she murmured.

"You never believe me."

"Because you downplay everything that happens to you, you moron." There was a little bit of heat behind the sentence that both of them caught, and Ren sighed. "I'm sorry…I just…"

"I know." His arm came up and hugged her from the side, enjoying the warmth she provided. "The dream…well it was a nightmare after the first part. It was about that thing that attacked us in that void. But before that…well…I think I heard someone from home."

"Home?" Ren asked, drawing back. "You mean…home-home? Like, our Earth?"

"Maybe. It was definitely female, and it kept repeating my name like it was trying to tell me something."

"It could've been Violet," Ren reasoned, slowly getting excited. "Or…or maybe Zinnia? You never know what the Draconids have stashed away in Everest. It's been, what, a month? Unless time moves differently between…I dunno, universes at this point, we've been gone for a month there now. They've got to know something is up."

"Yeah, hopefully." Floyd knew their friends. Between Zinnia's hardheadedness, Annabeth's tenacity, and Violet's affinity for doing the impossible, they wouldn't stop looking for them until they found a body. "How long until the meeting?"

"We missed it."

"What? _What?"_ The calm left Floyd immediately as he whirled in bed, looking at the alarm clock on the nightstand. 3:30 in the afternoon. The meeting had taken place hours ago. "Ren—oh my God."

"Listen, listen," Ren started. "You were tired, I was tired, and to be quite honest, we did almost all of the work yesterday. Literally everyone agreed with me when they noticed that we weren't there yet and told me not to bother waking you up since you were _still_ out cold, soooooo…" Floyd sighed and let his head bump against the headboard as Ren snorted. "Oh, cool your tits Boss. Listen, since we don't have a briefing to go to, I figured we could go out into the city and have some fun, yeah? I was talking to Blitz last week and he said that before Snowpoint was knee-deep in, y'know, war, that they were—"

"Is this a game to you, Ren? Is it? Do you not understand what's at stake here?" Floyd snapped, losing his temper a little.

"Wha-of course I do! But we helped them, dude! We're _done._ We said we'd break into the Hub, send a message and be gone before daylight. Meaning that in a few days, give or take, we're _leaving._ I just…figured you might want to see the sights that are still open before that happens."

"We don't know if it actually worked or not," Floyd said. "That was why I wanted to be at the meeting."

"Oh, we know it worked. Turn on the TV. I figured you'd wake up asking." Doing as she asked, all he saw was what he presumed was Snowpoint's logo on the standard multicolored no-signal bars. Under the logo were the words "STAND BY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE" in giant letters. "The entire network is down; internet, TV, cellular. Olivier shut it all down. She was _pissed._ "

"All the more reason we need to stay and find out what's going to happen next."

"Oooor all the more reason to leave before we're caught up in a war we have no _fucking business of fighting!"_ Ren said, her voice beginning to rise to a shout. "Are you forgetting that this is _not_ our home planet? Meaning that whatever happens here, you could give a rat's ass about because these _are not our people! LITERALLY!"_

"They're still human beings, Ren! There are still innocent people and Pokemon that live in this city! We find a nuke in Central and you just want to turn around and leave them behind!?"

"YES. WE FOUND ONE! BUT THIS, OUR FUTURE IS WHAT MATTERS MORE, BOSS! AND YOU ARE _MISSING THIS!_ " She rose, taking a confrontational stance that he was all-too familiar with. "I can't believe you don't want to go back to own Earth and risk never seeing your friends and family again!"

"Ren, if it's only been one month here and there, they _will still be there for YEARS_ to come! We have time!"

" _The amount of time doesn't fucking matter if we all get melted by a nuclear bomb, Floyd!_ How many different _fucking_ ways do I have to say it? Would you like me to say it in PokeSpeak? Here! _Ab absol, ab sol sol absol!"_ Her right eye twitched a little bit, a glimmer of purple light flaring in her red eyes. "Was that good or do you need a refresher course on that language too? Tabby's right. You don't. Owe. These people. Anything. You've given them _everything."_

"I didn't owe you anything," Floyd said softly. "Should I have left you behind too?"

Ren's mouth closed and she looked away. "That was different."

"How so?" Floyd pressed, stepping closer to her. "Ren, look at me. _Look at me, goddamnit!"_ Reluctantly, her scowling face turned towards his as they glared at each other. "You tell me how this is different; someone in desperate need of help, someone who'd given up hope _long_ before they met me…and suddenly it's offered, all but forces its way into a problem. And then, right as I'm about to break the bars on the cage—"

"Don't."

"I stop and leave you there—"

"I'm warning you, Floyd, don't!"

"So that the next group of scientists can move back in, use you like a lab rat and…"

"Damn it, Floyd, I told you to _shut up!"_ Floyd drew back, a wave of guilt slamming into him as he watched tears began to well at the edges of Ren's eyes. His anger forgotten, he moved to console her, only to hear a growl rumble from her throat. "Don't fucking touch me."

"Ren…"

"You do whatever the hell you want," she snarled, leaping off of the bed with a sniffle. "I don't care."

"Ren, wait!"

But he could think of nothing else to say as the Absol walked out through the Poke-door at the bottom of the main door and disappeared into the hall.

**###**

Stupid, stupid, stupid, _stupid!_ Why couldn't Floyd see that they had nothing more to do here? Ren wanted to go home! She wanted to be back in California and melt under the hot sun! She wanted to wake up in their own bed, have Floyd reading next to her, his steady breathing lulling her to sleep. She wanted to run mental circles around Bobby, whose poor brain threatened to overheat if she played too many pranks in an hour.

She…

She wanted to go home.

Didn't he?

Ren didn't know.

So she ran. She bolted down the stairs and just took off. She didn't need to see Floyd right now…or anyone else really. Unless he was going to apologize. Yes, apologize and then…

_CRASH!_

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, sharp!" a female voice cried out, hissing through her teeth in pain.

Ren shook it off. She'd been in much worse crashes and taken harder bumps to the head. "Why don't you watch where you're…oh, great. It's _you."_

"Nice to see you too, Ren," Tabby said, clutching her shin. "Jeez, how sharp is that horn?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ren asked, trying to keep the quiver out of her voice.

"I…live here?" Tabby said, puzzled. "You're…kinda on my floor."

"Whatever, I don't care! Just get out of my way."

Tabby frowned and unsteadily stood up. "No, Ren, I don't need any help getting to my room to stop myself from bleeding out. But since you volunteered, you can come along anyways."

"I'm not going anywhere with anyone, witch," Ren snarled. "Out of the way!" The brunette folded her arms, giving Ren a sassy look that she didn't appreciate. "I'll blow you to smithereens, I mean it!"

"Smithereens, wow," Tabby mused. "Well, how about this? You come with me back to the room, I patch up my leg, and I don't tell Floyd that I saw you running this way. You _are_ running from him, right?"

Ren scowled. "I'm not running from anyone, especially _him."_

"Then leave, if you don't want me to go and find him," Tabby said, waving her hand aimlessly. As much as she wanted to do otherwise, Ren stayed rooted to the spot, swallowing back a furious torrent of insults. "Exactly. C'mon."

Rolling her eyes and determined not to tell Tabby anything, Ren followed her down the hall.

**###**

The afternoon light was bright, the sun beaming down on Snowpoint to bless the day. It was almost an insult to injury after _everything_ that had happened. Not only did they suffer a break-in, but Olivier's entire facade with the Pokemon League had been completely compromised in one fell swoop. Not only did the League receive everything that Floyd and his little band of thieves had sent them, but they'd also gone and sent something else too. Her little secret project she'd been working on _just_ in case…discovered.

It was over, completely over. Already, she was receiving dozens of messages and emails by the hour, not to mention the number of complaints and rumors beginning to spread among her staff. The men that had recovered from the horrific beating Floyd and that Absol of his had given him claimed that he could move faster than light, that he could blend in with deepest of darknesses, that he could lift hundreds of men with a single arm, rumors, rumors, rumors.

Most of them were probably true.

That didn't matter.

What did matter was that Olivier was likely going to die very soon for her failure. As soon as the League decided that Snowpoint was no longer fit to be governed by her, she'd be forcibly removed from her position of power and demoted, possibly even transferred. She'd last maybe a day before the powers that be silenced her, made her completely disappear. And who would care? No one mourned the death of a tyrant who apparently planned to level an entire city.

The Northern Quarter was in uproar. Maybe Nerevor had told them. Maybe they'd all known about the break-in from the very beginning. Whatever the case, all morning and still through the afternoon work had completely stopped, all of its inhabitants out en masse in the streets. Protests, shouting, near-fighting as they demanded answers. She couldn't stop them, couldn't even come close. If she so much as ordered one of their number to be taken away, that entire crowd would turn from enraged to violent _fast._ The only thing she _could_ do was halt the stream of information. Cut the phone, internet, news, everything. If everyone was blind, perhaps it would still the violence.

Ha. If only.

Olivier watched the stream of information from her computer, it and the rest of Central Tower being the only things still allowed internet access. She watched, and waited for the end.

"Ma'am, you have a visitor," her assistant said over the intercom.

"I told you to cancel all of my appointments," Olivier replied. "Was I not clear?" Static from the other end. "Hello?"

"Oh, my dear Olivier. I did warn you before taking on this assignment." She jumped in her seat and found herself almost clinging to the wall as she turned around to face the intruder. She hadn't even heard the door open, hadn't heard anything. Yet there he was.

The man standing before her had extremely short hair barely long enough to call bristles on the top of his head, his goatee trimmed to perfection just like the cut of his clothes. There wasn't a fold out of place on the strange garments he wore, a vibrant purple cloth cuirass over a flowing robe of black. As he shifted towards her, feet hidden underneath the robe that gave him the illusion of gliding, his hard black eyes flashed purple.

"Such a shame your avarice has left you in the lurch," he said, his voice soft yet menacing.

Olivier swallowed. "P-Psionic, sir. To what to do I owe the pleasure?"

"Oh, I believe the both of us know the answer to that question, my dear," the Psionic said, still gliding towards her. "I hear you suffered a break-in last night."

"I…" It was no use lying to him. Even if he didn't know the full story, it was likely he was pulling the contents from her brain even now. "Yes."

"And…am I to believe you already know who has committed this crime?" the Psionic asked, turning away from her and striding to the large window that overlooked Snowpoint's skyline.

"Well…yes, sir, but…"

"So then why is he not bound and chained in the dungeons, being used for your little, ah, experiment?"

"With all due respect sir…I can't."

"Can't…what, exactly?"

Olivier swallowed again, her mouth tasting of sawdust. "I can't…arrest them."

At once, a terrible presence seemed to wash over Olivier, one that would have made her crumple to the ground had she not been prepared for it. The very air seemed to thicken around her, and one now-glowing purple eye bored into her very soul as the Psionic glanced over his shoulder at her. "And why is that?"

"H-he is under Nerevor's protection…and worse still…he would be able to defend himself."

The Psionic snorted. "That old fool still gives you trouble? For shame, Olivier." He turned back away and the presence receded. "I was under the impression that you were able to handle this assignment. And yet a stranger is giving you pause?"

Olivier scrambled to clear her mind of all thoughts as resentment and anger rose up to the Psionic's accusations. If he detected even a hint of mutiny, she was going to be erased on the spot in seconds. "The stranger…his power is unlike anything I've ever seen before, sir. Even Nerevor…Nerevor did not give me the same feeling when we forced him to test."

The Psionic was silent for a time, a long time, contemplating. Olivier didn't dare do anything else as he thought. It was common to see the Psionic…stall, for a better word. Keeping such raw power tied to a leash had to be exhausting work on a mortal brain…and the Psionic had plenty of power to spare.

"Is that so?" the Psionic asked, a frown developing on his features. "You are sure about this?"

"As sure as I have ever been in my life, sir," Olivier said.

"Good," the Psionic said. "Truly, I am relieved to know that you are as sure as you have ever been in your entire life. Our problems are at an end now, is that it?"

Olivier bit back more resentment. "Sir?"

He turned around to face her fully, his eyes flashing purple again.

And just like that, Olivier fell to the ground, beginning to choke.

"Listen to me closely," the Psionic said, his words both hammering into her ears and rattling through her mind. "This is about much more than a petty break-in. To be perfectly honest, I could not care less about your bomb or lack thereof. What I _do_ care about is results, my dear. You promised me so very long ago that you would bring order to the boiling city of Snowpoint after the Galactic War. You promised that the citizens would eventually submit, magic or no, and that we would have complete, unbreakable control." He stepped closer to her, and Olivier fell to her knees, clawing at her throat and gasping for air that would not come. "You promised control of a magical empire, the seat of secrets we are most interested in keeping under wraps. Instead, I return to find a city divided not only in half, but in fourths. I return to find that the old dog Nerevor is still kicking, that Sanctuary still stands and is not in ruin, and worst of all…that you seem to be losing this little war of attrition." A pulse of energy squeezed around her throat and forced Olivier to bend over, pushing her nose into the carpet. "Like a Herdier who has made a mess on the floor, I want you to do the same. Do not even attempt to look up at me until I allow it, or I will kill you right now." Another pulse of energy, and a strangled croak forced its way out of Olivier's throat. "I hope you realize that I am quickly running out of patience and options. We have given you… _limitless_ resources for your plans, and still you have not succeeded as we've hoped. Does this mean I am wasting my time? Hm. Most likely." He turned away from her and the presence around her throat vanished, Olivier beginning to wretch and gasp for sweet lungfuls of air as the Psionic walked away.

"Please, Master," Olivier croaked, her nose still pressed firmly into the floor. "I…will do as you say! I will not fail! I just need a little bit more time! The weapon…it was not compromised with last night's break-in! I can…I can assign double, no, _triple_ the amount of staff to work, please…" She forced back tears of fear and swallowed a sob. "I can still be useful…please don't kill me!"

The psychic presence wrenched Olivier up from the floor and yanked her over to the Psionic's impassive face. "Is that so? What can you promise me, Olivier? What can you promise me that will prevent me from taking back the power so generously given to you and flinging you to your death out this window?"

Olivier shook her head frantically, her heart sprinting at a mile a minute in her chest. "Nerevor. I can…I can persuade him to surrender. Even he can't protect against a force this massive so close in the city. If…if they do not submit, we'll…we'll detonate, and then the survivors and the city will be yours to do with as you please."

For a long, drawn out moment, she floated in front of him, and then behind him as he turned away to think. Sweat beaded on her forehead and ran down her face. She savored it, savored every sensation before the Psionic would send a psychic pulse to her brain and kill her, or worse, take her away for punishment.

"Interesting," the Psionic murmured finally. "Even after all of that talk about wanting to be Snowpoint's savior, you would be so willing to throw it all away to stay alive?" He smiled. "It seems you've finally began losing some of that pesky sentiment that holds the likes of Nerevor back from wiping you off the face of the Earth." He waved a hand. "Go, then."

The psychic presence dropped her to the ground and Olivier looked up, wonder in her eyes. "S-sir?"

"You are promising me Nerevor or his head on a silver platter," the Psionic said. "I have seen inside your mind and I have read the progress reports on your little experiment. I believe you have…a small chance of succeeding. So go. Prove me wrong. Show me I am not wasting my time." He glanced behind once again. "Your plan with Snowpeak and its forces. Did it work?"

Olivier nodded. "Yes, sir. The majority have arrived, and the last of the soldiers are set to arrive later this week."

"Very well. You have also ordered work on the project we had specified last year?" Olivier nodded, still cringing away from him slightly. "This pleases me, Olivier. Perhaps you are not as incompetent as I thought. Still though, your performance has been nothing short of embarrassing." He turned away from her. "I would recommend using the borrowed power you so desperately cling to soon. The passive effects of fear may work for now, but you will need its full power in the near future if you are to win." He paused one more time, and then turned the full weight of his gaze towards her, his eyes now blazing like purple supernovae. "Do yourself a favor, and do not disappoint me again, Olivier."

The tyrant of Snowpoint City blinked and the Psionic was gone, leaving behind a changed Olivier grateful to be alive and determined to finish her work.

**###**

"So," Tabby said, still rubbing her bandaged shin. It wasn't even really cut deep, it just irritated her that she couldn't scratch it out of fear of making it worse. Because it did itch, and damnably. "What were you doing running away from Floyd?"

The Absol sitting across from her scowled and looked away. "We had a fight."

"Of what kind?"

"The none of your fucking business kind."

Blitz grunted a slight warning as Tabby whistled. "Side note: does Floyd swear a lot?"

Ren frowned. "No, why?"

"No reason. Anyways, sometimes when I get upset, it helps me to talk to someone else about something. Sometimes I realize I'm in the wrong, y'know?"

"Don't patronize me. I'm not in the wrong," Ren said, turning her nose. "If you knew what happened, you'd know that too."

Tabby bit back her exasperation. "Then tell me."

Ren sighed. "Look…you would do anything to save Snowpoint, right? I mean, it's where you grew up." Tabby nodded. "And you would do anything for Nerevor, right? Or Blitz?"

"Of course," Tabby said with another nod, scratching her Infernape under his chin. He blew steam out of his nose and smiled. "They're all I have in terms of family."

Ren snorted. "Funny you should say that." She shook her head, her bang of fur swishing across her face. "Boss fell asleep in his armor he was so tired and he was out cold until…I dunno, twenty minutes ago? When he woke up, he said he had a dream about…about home."

The corner's of Tabby's mouth twitched. "Your Earth? How?"

"Don't know," Ren said. "The powers that be can make anything happen, I guess. Whatever the case, I took it as a sign that we should really get going so we can make heads or tails of this. Him…not so much."

"You're talking about leaving," Tabby said, the words dry against her tongue as they left her mouth.

Irritation was heavy in the next sigh that left Ren's mouth. "Look, I know maybe you don't get it, but imagine literally being on a different planet and the _one_ thing that you want being that you get to go home and see the people who love you and care about you—"

"I get it."

Ren stopped short, blinking rapidly. "What?"

"I get it," Tabby repeated. "And you're right. Floyd, by all rights, should probably have left by now." She shrugged. "Or at least started packing. He did what he said he was going to do."

Ren leered at her, her tail stopping its rhythmic movement against the couch. "I feel like you're fucking with me."

"I'm not," Tabby said, holding up one hand. "If I'm honest, I don't get Floyd."

Ren laughed. "What's there not to get? Trust me, there's not much you haven't seen or heard that isn't commonplace for him."

Tabby shook her head. "Something he said to me last month, after the first meeting I took him to. Something like…like he _had_ to do this. Why? I get the whole being a hero thing, but this isn't even…" Tabby looked back up and paid attention to Ren's face. Her mouth had pursed into a thin line, and her red eyes had narrowed as she stared guiltily at the ground. "What is it?"

Ren's eyes closed fully. "Never mind. I'm in the wrong." She let out a series of curse words that would have had Tabby's mother scrubbing her teeth furiously with soap. "I can't believe I didn't think of it before."

"Hey," Tabby snapped her fingers. "Earth to Ren. What didn't you think of?"

"The reason Floyd's helping…besides his goody-two shoes persona. It…well, it has to do with…"

_Knock knock knock._

Tabby frowned and got up, walking over to the door. Opening it, she saw Floyd standing in the hallway, his hands in his pockets.

"Hey," Tabby said.

"Hey," Floyd replied. "She's in here, isn't she?"

Tabby nodded and let him inside, where Ren scampered over to him and sat down, her tail between her legs. "I'm sorry, Boss," she murmured. "I didn't think…"

"It's alright," Floyd said quietly. "I'm…I'm sorry too. But I can't…I can't."

"What's going on?" Tabby asked. "Ren said you…you don't want to leave?"

"I won't," Floyd said with a nod. He took a deep breath and sat down. "I was outside clearing my head, and I figured you came here Ren. What did you tell her?"

The Absol shook her head. "Nothing. I…I didn't know if you'd want me to."

"Tell me what, guys?" Tabby asked, tired of the cryptic answers.

The way Floyd's eyes snapped to hers scared her almost as much as they did when they had glowed with that furious white light in the testing chamber. "I think it's time I tell you the story of my first partner…and why I'm not leaving until we finish this fight."


	15. Chapter 13: The Ones Who Came Before

**Chapter 13: The Ones Who Came Before**

Tabby sat down opposite of Floyd, puzzled as she watched him take out his wallet and withdraw the contents from within. "Remember how we looked at each other's pictures?" he asked. Tabby nodded and he opened a small flap at the back. "There was one I didn't show you. I usually don't ever take it out because you never know, but…"

He slid the picture across the table. It was very obviously him, albeit much younger; fifteen or sixteen at best. But next to him was a girl of about his own height at the time wearing a wide grin from ear-to-ear. She had shortish orange hair and warm eyes of amber, with a kind of mirth to her entire stance that made it clear even from the faded photograph that she would be something of a challenge to handle in real-life, though someone with Floyd's patience could have managed. Both her and Floyd were feigning snarling at the camera—though the girl was much more enthusiastic than he was—dressed in strange garments that looked oddly like the uniforms that a big gang she'd read about in history class from Hoenn had worn.

"Who…?" Tabby started.

"Before I met my friends, the ones you saw in the other pictures…before I even met Ren…well, there was one more." He gestured to the picture. "That…her name was Zoe Ardeni. She was my…partner."

"Partner?" Tabby asked. Then she put it together. "Like…your superhero partner?"

Floyd nodded. "Ren and I live in California now, but I'm originally from a place on the same continent called Ohio. To say the very least…the monster problem there is way worse than in the bigger states. The Atrium, the big governmental body we work for…well, its reach wasn't as far or strong before I joined up. Ohio was safe in most places, sure, but there was a lot of room for improvement. Monster attacks left and right, bi-weekly lockdowns, and even worse, plenty of opportunities for the worst of the worst to work…evil." He sighed, and his eyes seemed to age hundreds of years. "I started fighting monsters when I was fourteen, and then human criminals when I was fifteen. Public services like killing monsters is fine, but vigilantism is a big no-no in the eyes of our Earth's laws. So I used a codename; The Black Sun."

Briefly, the image of the usually-dark sigil on the center of Floyd's armor flashed before Tabby's eyes. "And Zoe…she was your partner?"

"Not at first. One day I got particularly risky to say the least. Zoe…well, things were already complicated with her, not even mentioning the alter ego. She liked me and I was…worse at being social than I am now."

"Way worse," Ren added with a smirk.

"Anyways, one day I got hurt really bad. Zoe and I had had a fight a few days earlier and I was down for the count with my injuries. She was smart…smarter than me. She broke into my house—which isn't an easy feat, mind you—and found me passed out on the floor and covered in my own blood. She nursed me back to health and when I came to, she was demanding to know what happened. I told her everything; what I do, who I really was, how long I'd been doing it. It was my last resort. I figured that hearing all of the horror stories, she'd back off. At the very least distance herself."

"But she joined up with you," Tabby said quietly. Dread began churning in her stomach.

"I didn't want her to. I never did. I knew from the beginning, when I'd first met her, that if she ever found out that she'd try to help. The other kids at school…they weren't like me. I was born with a natural affinity for fighting. I was good at it, even if I had gotten sloppy and gotten punished for it. Zoe, even though she _could_ get to my level or even beyond…at that point she was still just a human. And she was my friend." His eyes drifted down to the photo, seemingly becoming lost in it. "To this day, I still don't why I did it. Maybe I convinced myself that it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe I was blinded by the feelings I had for her. Maybe it was destiny. I don't know. But whatever the case, I let her join, and I trained her. For six months, everything went great. She was one of the best fighters I'd ever seen, and we worked as a flawless team. She was pretty damn stubborn on any topic that involved her not getting her way, and that helped her win a lot of fights most people would have given up on."

Tabby watched Ren lie down on Floyd's lap, forcing him to pet her. In a way, it reminded her of the beginning of the days in Snowpoint, when things had been publicly worse. Some of the older students had gone out and caught Growlithe from Arceus-knows-where and given them to children as therapy Pokemon.

"There was…a man named Wayne. A bad guy who was kidnapping people and building up a personal army. He had the power to overshadow people and possess them with fragments of his soul to make their bodies do what he wanted while keeping his true identity hidden. Zoe and I thought we took him down in this big fight in the last parts of winter. I didn't know what his power was. I didn't know that he'd come back for revenge. But everything seemed perfect; Zoe and I became a couple, the police started working with us instead of against us…life was…peaceful. I started asking myself if I really wanted to be the Black Sun forever. I started wondering about what would come after. I also realized that for the first time, I had something personal to fight for other than innocent people who had no meaning to me. Zoe understood me, understood who I was." He snorted. "Her mother even liked me, even though her daughter snuck out of the house to fight monsters with me all the time." He shook his head, the moment of levity fading as a shadow crossed his face. "One day, Zoe, her mother, and a hundred more people went missing out of the blue. Wayne thought that Zoe was the Black Sun, but when she didn't rise up to challenge him on her own, he figured that he had to be close. He used her as bait and set a trap for me in a little fortress."

His mouth twisted with disgust. "I was a goddamned fool," he snarled. "I was angry, and I let my emotions drive the fight. But I was winning. I was beating Wayne into the ground and the hostages started escaping. He wasn't happy that I'd showed up and actually foiled his plans and started going all-out. I was tired, I was worried about Zoe…and I messed up. He hit me hard and I was sure he was going to kill me right there. But Zoe, stupid, loyal, brave Zoe, came back for me. No armor, no weapons, half-starved and dehydrated…she got side-swiped and I managed to grab her and jump for our escape." His fists tightened on top of his knees, and Tabby heard a metallic sort of creaking. "Just before we were out of range, Wayne gave it one more try and threw a spear, aiming for me. I was flying with Zoe under my arm, and it missed me but…"

Tabby covered her mouth as Floyd looked away, pained.

"Her death was one of the hardest things I've ever gone through. I still had my mask on when I landed near the rest of the hostages, and I heard her mother screaming and clawing at me as I laid her down. I've never wanted to give up more than that day. And if I could've, I likely would have."

That shocked Tabby to the bone. Floyd had worked day-in and day-out nonstop on repairing a car that probably would've taken Tabby years to even decipher how the basic mechanics worked. And the fight he'd put up against Olivier's lackeys…that wasn't something one did on a whim.

But Floyd…giving up? That just wasn't him.

"Why didn't you?" Tabby asked softly.

"Because it wasn't what Zoe would have wanted," Floyd said. "Zoe would have laughed at me for being sad about her death." He chuckled sadly. "Then she probably would've threatened to come back and give me something to be upset about." He shook his head, a small smile on his face. "And I won't fail Zoe. Not again." The sadness was still in his eyes, but as he looked up, there was a fire there too. "I'm not going to leave Snowpoint's fate up to chance and a tyrant throwing a nuclear-sized tantrum. I won't." He looked down at Ren. "I'm sorry. But home will have to wait." Tabby could tell Ren wasn't entirely pleased with that, but she nodded wordlessly and licked him on the cheek. He looked back at Tabby. "I know that was long, and that you still might not get it. But it's important to me. It's…it's how I can push myself to keep going. And how I remember her."

Tabby watched Floyd pet Ren aimlessly for a while, mulling the story over in her head. For the past month, as much as she'd grown to like Ren and Floyd's presence, she still had never been able to understand the man. Ren had been completely in the right to want to go home, and it had only made sense that Floyd would be able to leave. He didn't owe them anymore. He'd stopped owing them a while ago when he'd given the Northern Quarter something to be hopeful about. But now…now she understood.

Would he?

"Floyd." He looked up. "I do understand. I understand…better than anyone." She stood up, retrieving her wallet from her desk and sitting down next to Floyd this time. Blitz followed her and tugged on her sleeve, a worried look on his face. "It's okay Blitz. I…I want to tell him." Tabby withdrew the picture of her family at her Awakening. "I remember that night that I shut you down when you asked about my folks. I think…I think you deserve to hear my story. It's only fair…if you want to."

He nodded. "Only if you do."

Tabby took a deep breath. "My mom was…well, she was the best. We were best friends. We did everything together because I was a total magic geek, and before I went into further magical study, I was just a geek. We got each other down to the wire. My dad was my buddy too. I could tell him anything, and he let things slide that even my mom would have gotten mad at me for. Nerevor taught them and he promised he'd teach me. The war left a lot of families unstable, some of them broken…but not ours. We were happy." She smiled. "I remember when Blitz was just a Chimchar. He's my only Pokemon, the last egg we got from Mom's Infernape who passed when I was little. Just like how you remember Zoe by continuing to move forward, I remember my parents with Blitz."

She pressed her mouth into a thin line and composed herself before going on. "When things got…bad here…when the first laws were passed…the people of Snowpoint weren't happy at all. From what I've learned, a lot of magic was founded here anyways. It's a focal point. Never forgotten like the history books say, just faded into seclusion. But the people who had never studied it _had_ seen what it had done to their cousins, to their husbands and wives, to their children and their Pokemon who had gone out to fight Team Galactic one last time. It _terrified_ them because they didn't know who could be trusted with such raw power. But as more people came back from the war and started having children, the number of mages grew and grew by birth, the power passed down to almost every child conceived. Things were terrible for us. What's now the Southern Quarter? It used to be peaceful, a bunch of magical and non-magical people living side-by-side. But there were riots and panicking and violence. It eventually became suicide to even consider living there if you had an ounce of magic in your body, because there were some days you might never come home again if you were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Blitz leapt up onto the couch cushion and held her hand as her eyes began to sting, the memories flooding back raw and so terribly real. "Just before Olivier arrived…things were at their worst. What's happening now…it was about to happen six years ago. My mom was powerful, stronger than my dad even. She never wanted to hurt anyone, but boy could she fight. And she was never one to take it sitting down. I had already gone to school for the day but I heard her and my dad arguing about something early in the morning, about protecting something or someone at all costs." Her hands bunched up her jeans and try as she might, tears blurred her vision. "I-I got home late that night and the Northern Quarter police, Griffin, Nerevor, my dad…they-they were all there around the table and they said…" She covered her eyes with her hands as the tears began flowing, the sobs shaking her body. "They s-said that they couldn't f-find her. The-there were rioters, maybe a lucky shot, and she was missing, missing since that morning and no one could find her." She clutched at the ends of the hair on her forehead, trying to keep her voice steady and to keep her world from spinning out of control beneath her feet. "The body…they f-found…I didn't get to…to say goodbye and I…I should've been there…"

"Okay," Floyd said, his voice as soft as she'd ever heard it. Strong arms wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her close. In one moment she was merely leaning on him, the next, her face was buried in the crook of his neck, her entire body quaking.

"I just…I just want to be strong...s-strong like you o-or Nerevor. And I want to end this damned war before it starts so that no little girl _ever_ has to lose her mom like that again!" Her grip on Floyd's shirt tightened and the sobs began to be replaced by burning, furious anger. "I'm sick of the city tearing itself apart and I'm sick of the people I've come to know _hoping to Arceus that I know what to do! BECAUSE I DON'T! I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING! DEEP DOWN, I…"_

She dropped her voice and pulled away, placing distance between her and Floyd. "Deep down, I'm just…I'm just that weak, stupid teenage girl who thinks she's up to defending her city with a few sparks and fireballs…a weak girl who couldn't even be there for her own mother."

Floyd's hand clasped her shoulder. "I know what it feels like…to feel like it was your fault. But there was nothing you could've done. If anything, you both would have been killed if your mom was as powerful as you say she was. For…for a long time, I blamed myself for Zoe's death. I thought it was my fault. But in the end, it was her choice to come back for me. I didn't force her to do anything. I wish to God and all the stars above that I could have done something different and I miss her so much sometimes it gives me a stomachache. But she came back knowing the risks, and she fought for me without hesitation. I'm willing to bet your mom did too. She did what she did thinking about her best friend; you. Your mom's death…it wasn't your fault."

Tabby sniffled and looked over at Floyd, wiping at her eyes. "I still don't know what to do. I feel helpless. And now there's this talk of…of a bomb that you found at the meeting and even Nerevor doesn't know what we're going to do." She shook her head. "What if…what if I fail again?"

"You won't," Floyd said. "Because you won't do it alone. You have Nerevor, who is almost definitely stronger than I am. You have people like Griffin or Vanessa who will fight to their last breaths to keep people safe, and powerful trainers like Zero who are going to make whatever fight we come across a breeze. And most importantly…you'll have me."

Ren cleared her throat.

Both Tabby and Floyd chuckled. "Both of us," he corrected himself. "When Olivier throws the next punch, we'll be ready. And we will fight alongside you." He hesitated and then placed his hand on top of hers. "We'll put Snowpoint right again, and honor your mom's sacrifice. I promise."

"How do you know?"

"Because I said we will." He smiled. "And because I believe in you."

She smiled, the dark cloud of sadness spreading and a happy feeling lighter than she'd felt in a while blooming in her stomach. She turned back towards him and wrapped around him in a warm embrace, one last stray tear falling down her cheek.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

The warmth was comforting and there was nothing more to be said, so Tabby nuzzled into Floyd a little tighter as he slowly leaned back against the arm of the couch. They rested in silence for longer than Tabby could count, the flood of emotions dragging them both to sleep intertwined.

**###**

Cold was an interesting concept. Temperatures low enough to cause the hair on the body to stand up, to blacken fingers and lips and toes, to crush even the most resilient of men and chew them up as though they were nothing. The people of Snowpoint knew cold. Adapted to it. Adhered to it. Lived by it.

Yet for all his 27 years of life, Corinth had never been as cold as he had been six years ago.

When he'd watched as his father's body was wheeled to the ambulance.

When he'd watched as his mother ran out of the hospital sobbing.

When he'd watched as his father was lowered into the ground.

And when he'd watched his mother waste away into nothing.

How could one bear to do… _nothing_ in this cold? Activity fights back the cold, brings heat, brings change, brings warmth. Yet for months, his mother did _nothing._ Did nothing as she became as cold as the snow piled up outside for miles and miles on end down the street. Did nothing as she joined his father beneath the frozen earth and succeeded into the cold light of Arceus' eternal throne.

And now, as Olivier planned to detonate…what had that fool called it…a nuclear bomb? Yes, a nuclear bomb. A nuke. The outworlder, Floyd, had explained to the strike team that nukes on his world were bad. Very bad.

And Nerevor was going to do…nothing.

No more.

He'd almost been caught a month ago. He didn't know how, but someone had either seen him leave or deduced his intentions, though they didn't see his face. He'd planned to kill everyone in Sanctuary, starting with Nerevor and then that bitch Vanessa. Griffin too, for breathing down his neck for staying "on task" during his shifts. He'd save Tabby for last; she'd grown smitten with the outworlder; he'd make her watch him kill him.

But the next day, he came to learn that Nerevor was investigating, starting with the two guards he'd mindwiped that night. Corinth had been forced to put his little plan on hold, and that proved to be a blessing. Even if he had managed to start his plan, if the combined efforts of Vanessa, Griffin, Floyd, and Tabby—not to mention their Pokemon—didn't crush him like a Bug-type, Nerevor most certainly would for daring to even suggest bringing harm to the people of Sanctuary. Or hell, the people of the Northern Quarter. The benevolent old man had some insane notion about all of the Northern Quarter being under his protection.

If that were true, Corinth's father would still be alive, and he wouldn't be feeling this snapping, numbing cold inside of himself.

No, if Corinth tried a direct assault, Nerevor would erase him. End of story.

But now a plan began forming in his brain, a plan that was almost as reckless as the first…but had a much higher chance of success.

After all, the enemy of one's enemy was their friend, no?

He walked with his head down against the gusts that blew through town, hands shoved in his pockets and his shoulders hunched up as he crossed street after street and weaved through crowd after crowd. He noticed the faces of the people he approached; wrinkling with distaste but with reluctant approval. His stingy approval among the locals was favorable; not even that fool Nerevor had more than an inkling of who the traitor was, or so it seemed. No one would suspect the pinchy, temperamental youth to betray the "nation" he'd grown up with.

No one.

He reached his destination and knocked in a pattern on the cold wooden door of the apartment building. As he waited for someone to come to the door, he watched an army of protesters storm down the street, and then another platoon after that. They marched in droves, yelling and screaming for liberation and answers. Not that they'd get any. The only way to see real change would be to march down to Central Tower and demand progress with action. Show them the true power of mages, _command_ their respect, not hope for it.

But alas, no one would take that approach. No one but him.

As the protesters continued their march, a long nose stuck out through the mail slip and sniffed curiously and curiously at the air, then to his boots, then his legs. The nose of a Linoone could never be fooled, especially when it used Odor Sleuth. Griffin's relentless war against espionage had yielded good results in the form of the Revealing Spell, an offshoot of Foresight. It was good for catching Ditto trying to enter Sanctuary, but the move itself wasn't even perfect. Even though human magic was the basis of all Pokemon moves, the Pokemon themselves had never stopped using them, and were more naturally gifted at using them. The magic of humans paled in comparison if not sufficiently trained. But scent…no one can fool a specific scent. The spray he was wearing was scentless to humans…but not to Pokemon.

"Linoooone," the Pokemon purred. It backed out of the mail slot and the door swung open, Corinth stepping inside the landing and kicking the snow off his boots. The slender Pokemon barked again and led him down the basement stairs, where fifteen of his most trusted followers and companions stood around a large planning table filled to the brim with information and maps of Snowpoint.

"We were starting to worry you'd been held up by the crowds," a petite, raven-haired woman named Lydia said, fingering a pendant around her neck. She was useful for bringing over the stubborn mules of the North over to their side. "How is it out there?"

"You know how it is," said another man. His name was Hale, ironically enough. He was stout and compact with a chest like a crushed keg and the beer gut to compliment it. "Weaklings flooding the streets, whining and moaning and waiting for their betters to finish the job. But you can't have called us here for no reason, Corinth. Is today the day?"

"In a way," Corinth said. "Please be seated my friends." He grinned, the cold freezing around his heart. "What I am about to say will likely sound crazy, perhaps even insane. But I believe that if we are successful…well…"

Corinth spread his hands over the map, his eyes lingering over the Hub.

"I believe we'll see a change in Snowpoint leadership…very, very soon."

**###**

"Oh, really?" Olivier asked, the words rolling off her tongue and encased in venom. "And you…let them in?"

"W-well, ma'am, they came under a flag of s-surrender," one of the guards giving the report stammered. "We placed them in restraints and bound them in the holding cells, but…"

"Enough." She stood from her chair, smoothing her gray garment. "Bring me."

She followed the inept guards down the hall way and to the elevator. She had scarcely believed her ears when she'd heard the first words of the guards' report. Mages openly walking into Central?

A brief surge of hope fluttered in her stomach. Of course the guards knew who Nerevor was. _Everyone_ did. But the old man wouldn't bargain in person, not now since he knew how dangerous it was to even be in the city, much less Central. But maybe he'd sent ambassadors to…negotiate? Damage control, perhaps?

Perhaps she'd been blessed with some of Arceus' divine luck.

"We placed them in the high-security cells as per protocol," one of the guards manning the floor said as they reached the cell block. "We can have some of the Magnezone come in or…"

"No," Olivier said. "Stay outside, all of you. I want complete isolation. If I am disturbed, there will be…grievances. Am I understood?"

There was a chorus of assent, and the guard let her into the major holding cell. The Magnemite buzzing around the metal bars whisked out of the room, along with the other guards, and suddenly she was alone with what looked to be three mages, only one of which she'd seen before.

"Corinth, is it?" Olivier asked. "I believe I've seen you skulking around the Northern Quarter once or twice. What brings you and your," she leered at his ragtag band of followers, "associates to my building?"

"Oh, I think you know what, ma'am," Corinth said, an arrogant smirk on his face.

Olivier bowed her head and smiled. "Ah, Corinth. I would fix that face of yours before you find yourself without one. What exactly do I know, hm?"

"You _know_ that Nerevor knows about your little project underneath the Hub," Corinth said, standing up. "You _know_ that as of today, you don't have much time before the Pokemon League, Cynthia, and the Sinnohian Government is on you like Remoraid on a Mantine. You _know_ that if the Northern Quarter is backed against a wall and you have to fight, there's a good chance you'll have to blow us all up and then you _have_ no city to rule over because they'll likely win."

A nerve twitched in Olivier's right temple, and she resisted the urge to draw on that awful power waiting beneath her skin. "Does this little speech have a point, or are you merely here to annoy me?"

"You know all of this. I know all of this. Without allies, you can't win." The man smirked, standing up and approaching the bars. "But what if I told you there was a way that we could both have what we want? What if I told you there was a way for us to crush the little army Nerevor has in supply up at Sanctuary?" The smirk turned into a devillish grin.

"What if I told you that Nerevor could be out of the picture by the end of the week?"

Olivier's eyes narrowed, staring into the dark pits that were Corinth eyes. They were cold, calculating…serious. "Oh, really?" she asked.

Corinth nodded, that grin still plastered on his face. He was dangerous, and in all likelihood, it was a trap.

But a part of her couldn't help but be intrigued.

"Why don't you come with me, Corinth? Your friends too." Her eyes flicked over the woman and the obese man looking on in the corner. "We can go someplace…comfortable."

After unlocking their restraints and escorting them personally to the elevators, she saw to it that they were most comfortable in one of the meeting rooms near the top floor. A flustered secretary was sent to fetch some fine wine, and another wheeled in plush reclining chairs for her now honored guests. Soon after, her secretary returned with the wine and some pre-prepped platters of fruit and other little delicacies that would allow her to dictate the terms of the meeting.

And if need be, make them comfortable enough to allow for three kills in a single stroke of her arm.

"My apologies," Olivier said as the three began eating. "I was under the impression that you are our enemies. As you've seen out there," she gestured lazily to the streets below, "it is quite…turbulent among the residents of Snowpoint. But now that we all understand our intentions, I must ask again, Corinth: why have you come here?"

"With a proposition," Corinth said from across the table. "I can personally give you all of the information that Nerevor has on your nuclear bomb underneath the Hub and much, much, more, but we need to come to a mutual agreement before that."

Olivier inclined her head. "And what exactly do you intend to do to make me trust you? For all I know, this is a trick and you are a double agent for our dear friend Nerevor, hm?"

"No," Corinth said with such heat and scarcely-suppressed ferocity that Olivier believed him. "I want nothing more than that old fool dead. I didn't bring much, but I can tell you this; Nerevor believes that he has more mages on his side than he actually does. If it comes to direct conflict involving numbers, you can turn the tide on him instantly."

"Is that so?" Olivier asked, dragging a finger across the lip of her wine glass. "By how much?"

"Try half of his graduated fighters," Corinth said.

The thought of half of the Northern Quarter's army pulling away without a fight was so pleasing, Olivier could have slapped the Psionic right across the face. She kept it from her expression though, and leaned back in her chair. "Interesting. And they're part of this…this little mutiny of yours?"

"Yes, my lady," the woman known as Lydia said. "For too long, we and the others of our cause have believed that Nerevor is unfit to be the face of the magical community. Instead of acting and instating his will when the non-magical and magical communities began to clash, he sat on his hands and allowed death after death while waiting in silence for the problem to go away overnight. What we want is peace between both communities, a Snowpoint without fighting. The only way to do so is by removing Nerevor and the remnants of his teachings…by any means necessary."

"Mm," Olivier said. "You. Hale, correct? You believe this too?"

Hale nodded fervently. "I do, ma'am. Corinth has a good head on his shoulders. He was the one that brought us all together. Lydia is our infiltrator, but it was his ideals that allowed our community to prosper."

"We call ourselves the Liberated of Snowpoint," Corinth said. "With your help, we can restore the mages of Snowpoint to their true, unrecognized glory, and overthrow that decrepit crone that lays claims to the throne right now. But we aren't strong enough to destroy Nerevor, not alone. We need your help…and as I've said, I think it's more than advantageous for both of our parties to…cooperate with each other." He leaned forward in his chair. "You can do whatever you wish to those that remain. Kill them all, capture them, use them as scapegoats, whatever. All I…all we want is Nerevor's head on a spike."

A smile nearing glee lit Olivier's face up as she leaned back in her chair, examining the three of them from a far. It was a risk, yes…but Corinth's words were sweet, and the rewards he promised were far, far sweeter.

"So, Miss Olivier," Corinth said as she offered her silence in response. "Do we have a deal?"

"Perhaps," Olivier said. "I'm more than willing to work with your little group in a mutual alliance. But there's just one _tiny_ little show of faith I need if we're going to set things in motion." Here, she knew, would be the decider if they were truly against the old fool and his students. "Nerevor has my back against the wall with the League as you said earlier. I need a reason to deter them from sending military forces to forcibly remove myself and my associates from Snowpoint's throne. The story is that we are responsible for the plot to destroy the city…but if some of his trusted associates and colleagues attacked him and denounced him as the true ringleader…why, I don't think the League would be any the wiser."

"You want us to be the scapegoats?" Hale asked. Lydia also looked confused, but Olivier knew from the dark twinkle in Corinth's eyes that he understood.

"No," Corinth said. "She wants us to fire the first shot of war."

"When can you muster some of your men?" Olivier asked.

"At a moment's notice."

"Good," Olivier said, the joy spreading further through her heart. "Then this is what we will do."


	16. Chapter 14: Signs of a Coming Conflict

**Chapter 14: Signs of a Coming Conflict**

Ren blinked, slowly rousing from her deep slumber. A warm hand was gently brushing her horn by centimeters from her place on the floor. She got to her feet and stretched, her body shuddering up and down the spine as she did so. Looking over to the couch, Tabby was looking into the back of the couch while Floyd was also fast asleep, his other hand snaked underneath Tabby's arm and resting on the small of her back.

Ren smirked. "Cute," she said softly.

She had never really gotten around to saying "sorry" out loud, but hopefully they understood one another. And besides, Floyd seemed to have more pressing matters to deal with. Humans needed oh so much more rest than Pokemon that it was astonishing to Ren how much work they got done when they weren't sleeping. Though she wasn't above a nap from time to time either. Still, daylight was wasting and she was rather hungry. Not wanting to disturb the budding romance or the Infernape that was out cold and draped over the other arm of the couch, Ren slipped quietly out of the Poke-door and into the hall, wanting to stretch her legs. She _had_ said she'd wanted to go exploring in the city, and she was going to, Floyd or no.

Ignoring the odd stares the humans and guards gave her as she loped out of Sanctuary, she stepped out into the cold of the rapidly darkening afternoon, shaking all over and relishing the feel of fresh snow beneath her paws. It had been stamped under hundreds of feet, leaving boot after boot print there. By some luck, no snow had fallen the night previous (how the streets were even functional was beyond her), so it was just a mush of slush. The protesters didn't make it any better. Even as Ren stretched again, she saw another group pass by down the block, marching like the rest of their buddies were to Central Tower. Maybe she would go and watch. A good protest always seemed to get the blood flowing in one way or another. There'd probably be a fight too. If things got too serious, she'd come back and tell Floyd.

Riiiight after she saw who won.

She took one step forward and before she could even begin to react, was slapped back to about one month ago. She and Blitz had been stargazing (how romantic) and whoever the _hell_ it was that had wanted to either blow up or slaughter everyone in Sanctuary had been wearing a god-awful cologne that made Ren want to claw her nose off and throw it into a back alley.

And suddenly, she could smell it again like it was right in front of her.

Her horn throbbed as she put her nose to the ground. It was fresh, not even having been down for more than an hour or two. There were tons of different scents in the air and on the ground as well, but this one stood out like a sore thumb. As she sniffed and sniffed, a family of five with two Herdier rounded the corner and passed in front of Sanctuary behind her.

"Hey, hi, hello," Ren said, turning around. The humans all looked at her like she had a third eye (seriously, had no one seen a talking Pokemon before now?) but she kept speaking to the two dogs. "Can you two smell this? Like this scent, right here?"

The Herdier looked at each other and then approached the ground where Ren stood, their large noses sniffing audibly.

"Herd! HERDIER!" the first one yowled. The second one followed suit and began growling at the ground. They sniffed again and again, almost intoxicated by the scent almost, then looked back at Ren. "Herdier herd! Herdier!"

Ren let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, thanks. Get your humans as far away from here as possible, understand?" The Herdier barked again and led the family away as quickly as they could with frantic pulling. Ren faced the opposite way, put her nose back to the snow, and followed the scent as quickly as she could. Whoever had been on the warpath last time had teleported away. Maybe that was part of the plan. Maybe they'd noticed her and Blitz following them.

Whatever the case, they hadn't teleported this time.

After nearly being maimed by several cars, snapped at by a few feral Lillipups and street Rattatas, and nearly pissing off a grumpy-looking Beartic by stepping on his toes, Ren reached a humble apartment building on the corner of a city block a little ways away from Sanctuary. The scent was at its strongest here, almost overwhelming. She couldn't figure out why until she deduced that it wasn't _just_ the one instance. Multiple people with the same cologne had walked right up to that doorstep and went inside. Maybe it was less of a cologne and more of…of a tag. Like a secret society type-thing.

Ren frowned. "Well, I can't exactly go up there and knock." She frowned at her quadrupedness. "Even if I wanted to." She pouted and circled around outside, glancing at the windows. Darkened. No back entrance, wouldn't make sense for a building like this. There was an alley though, covered in snow like everything else in this god-forsaken city. She cantered on back and glanced up. There was a second floor, and following building code, it had a fire escape. But it was sure to be locked up tight, and unless she wanted to dive through headfirst, there was no way she was going to open it.

"Goddamn you Arceus," Ren muttered. "Thumbs woulda been really nice right about now."

While she sat there lamenting her lack of the digits, she heard the snow crunch behind her. She lazily turned behind her and saw a few shadowy figures that definitely hadn't been there before.

"Snea," one of them said.

"'Sup," Ren replied.

The group of Sneasel stepped forward as one, flexing their fingers and releasing claws. This was probably _their_ alley, and now Ren was here stepping on their turf. Lovely.

"Guys, come on," Ren said, cracking her neck. "If you want me to beat those asses, I will, but I'm really not looking for a fight." The Sneasel took another shuffling steps forward. "Okay, okay, you don't believe me. Here." She opened her maw and summoned power, a scary looking Fire Blast glimmering behind her fangs. The Sneasel all yelped and retreated at the sight of fire, hiding behind the biggest of the five. "See?" Ren asked, closing her mouth. "Fire bad. Ren bad. But I don't want to torch you if I don't have to. In fact…" She glanced up at the window near the fire escape.

Ren grinned devilishly. "What if I told you we could all become very rich Pokemon? Well, you could. I don't even want any money. Or...whatever it is that Sneasel are addicted to."

The Sneasel all looked between themselves warily, communicating with strange gestures and grunts of their species' language. After a minute or so of deliberations, the biggest Sneasel stepped forward, a good foot or so taller than the rest of them, a few scars on her fur. "Snea."

"Good, I've got your attention," Ren said. "See how I don't have thumbs? Or legs that I can walk on and use these?" She waved one paw off the ground. "Well, you guys have…er…one of those things it looks like. I need in to that window up there, and if you let me in, you can have whatever the hell you want from inside. I'll even fight with you if we run into trouble. Deal?"

The pack leader turned and looked at her followers. "Snea?"

"Sneasel!" the pack cried. "Snea sneasel!"

"Fantastic," Ren said with a grin. "After you, my lady."

They climbed up the fire escape, some of the Sneasel watching her back while the female tilted her head at the window. Her nose sniffed at the windowsill, then her claws flashed from their sheaths. "Snea!"

Ren backed up as the Sneasel slashed deep grooves into the wood and hooked her claws into it, the muscles shifting underneath her fur as she grunted and strained. The window cracked and then was flung completely upward into the nook as the Sneasel forced it open, a gust of cold air rushing inside the room.

"Awesome," Ren said as the rest of the Sneasel rushed inside, eager to loot whatever they could. "Nice work, girl."

"Snea!" the Sneasel said, flashing Ren a grin of her own. She leapt inside and Ren followed suit. The fire escape lead into the bedroom of the place, which was desolate and cold, even without the open window. It was barren, and didn't even look like anyone lived here. The walls were still basic white plaster, the bed was sheetless and covered in a layer of dust, and the table and chair looked as though they'd fall apart if someone blew on them. Even the floor was dusty, causing some of the Sneasel to, well, sneeze.

"Oookay, not what I was expecting," Ren muttered quietly. "Let's get downstairs then."

One of the Sneasel strained for the doorknob and flung the door open, catching it before it slammed into the wall. The rest of them moved in perfect silence, something Ren oh-so appreciated from her fellow Dark-types. The entire apartment seemed to be rickety and rundown, and only the scent of that awful cologne assured her she was in the right place.

"You guys can smell that too, right?" Ren asked.

"Snea," the lead Sneasel whispered with a nod.

Frowning, Ren led the way down the rest of the stairs and to the landing, where the path branched off further into the apartment. "Okay, you guys do whatever and—"

She blinked. All of the Sneasel had vanished before she could even finish her sentence, running off to loot the place.

"Wow, okay," Ren said with a sigh as one of the Sneasel leapt up towards a strongbox. "Guess I'm on my own then." She glanced down the hallway towards the kitchen where another Sneasel was digging into a pantry that must have had something of value in it. There was a dusty sitting room to her right, a closet in the midst of the hall and…hello?

A door.

"What are you hiding?" Ren asked as she looked up and down at the thing. Just looking at it made her horn begin to stir. "Something bad, I guess. Hey, Sneasel. If you would be so kind?"

The door opened into a dark basement room filled with papers stacked on top of a war table like in the war room at Sanctuary. What stood out most was a map of Snowpoint and…letters?

Ren and Sneasel walked over to the table, Sneasel vaulting up on top of it and gathering the letters in her hands. A sharp claw opened one that was still closed, pulling it out for Ren to read aloud.

_Corinth,_

_You've made a very enticing promise, and we've realized that you're actually in the right here. Between all of us, we've lost fifteen of our family and friends to the savages of the Southern Quarter. And what does Nerevor do? Nothing! If this is what must be done so that they can finally rest in peace, then we will do whatever it takes. I have confidence that you will as well._

_We stand with you,_

_Aerin_

"Jesus Christ," Ren muttered. "To be honest, kinda saw that coming."

She read through the rest of the letters as quickly as she could, and all of them were the same thing; letters of acceptance. There had to be about fifty in total, and all of them referred to groups of people instead of a singular person.

Corinth had built himself an army, and if she was reading this right, Nerevor would have absolutely no idea.

"Okay," Ren said, keeping her voice calm though her heart was beating at a million miles a minute. "We gotta go. Sneasel, get your kids, siblings, whatever. We gotta get outta here." Ren bit down on a stack of the letters, as many as she could carry, and rushed up the stairs, Sneasel behind her. Sneasel let out a cry that echoed through the whole building, and the rest of the Sneasel promptly formed up behind their leader, adorned with various trinkets and other valuables or food they'd found around the house.

"Snea sneasel," she began to say to her kin. "Sneasel snea…"

Ren stopped listening, her eyes narrowing at something over her shoulder. There was no heat on in the house, which was surprising but not unpleasant to Ice types or her thick fur.

So why was the air rippling?

"MM!" Ren shouted, a Night Slash ripping from her horn. The Sneasel ducked as she did so, hitting the wooden floor with speed as the energy blurred over their heads and slammed into the rippling air. A screech tore from the spot the Night Slash hit, and a Haunter tumbled to the floor, unconscious.

Immediately after, sixteen more Haunter materialized, Shadow Balls at the ready in their hands.

Well, that would explain why the house was so barren. Don't need furniture for Ghosts.

"MM!" Ren shouted, turning and nodding towards the front door. She avoided the first flurry of Shadow Balls that pulverized the wooden flooring and nearly took the head from her shoulders, striking back with a few more Night Slashes and forcing the Haunter to retreat. The lead Sneasel turned and leapt towards the front door, chilly white energy forming around her claws as she punched the door. Icicles formed at the last moment thick enough to kill several men, and the wooden door splintered then shattered out of the frame and tumbled onto the sidewalk.

Luckily it was still light out, and Ren knew from experience that Ghost types hated running around in light almost as much as Dark types did…most of them anyways. Raising on her back legs, Ren brought her forelegs slamming down on the wood, a Dark Pulse rippling out from her paws and forcing back all of her opponents. They shrieked and hissed, summoning more Shadow Balls to fling at her and the Sneasel. One thudded right into Ren's side, and though Pokemon usually held back in battles as to not actually kill each other, the Haunter were not. Ren was strong, but not even her body could withstand the storm of Shadow Balls the Ghost types flung at her. She both heard and felt the crack of at least a couple of her ribs, nearly biting through the letters as molten agony ripped through her.

Yep, she was done here.

Another Dark Pulse sent the clumping Ghost types scattering, and Ren made a run for it, both the searing pain in her side and the band of Sneasel coming with her as she sprinted for Sanctuary.

**###**

Slowly, Floyd came back to the waking world, bringing one hand to his face and rubbing it tiredly. Why did he feel so drained?

Then the past few hours caught up to him. A healthy discussion about his motivations? It had been a long time since he'd done that, and it had left him drained the last time too.

Fickle.

He went to get up and found that he was about 160 pounds heavier than usual.

Or no, not him.

Blinking, he realized what had happened after his little chat with Tabby.

The brunette was fast asleep on his chest, the remains of a few stray tears still on her face and her hands gently grasping at his sides. Every so often they squeezed his clothing as she shifted in her sleep. The hand he'd rubbed his face with had been at the side of the couch, while another was still on the small of her back.

Floyd became extremely uncomfortable, doing his best not to move yet wanting nothing more than to disentangle himself from her. He had nothing against being physically touched, but it had been…quite a long time since he'd felt the fluttering feeling in his chest.

It increased whenever he felt Tabby's hands tug at his sides.

Maybe it wasn't so bad.

 _Don't,_ said his darker voice, the one he knew was always right. The one he should have listened to years ago. _There's a good chance you're going to be killed if this war starts, and if you don't focus, she'll die too._

The voice was right. He'd grown…fond of Tabby over the past month. She was good company, and made his new, temporary life one that wasn't all worry when they had the opportunity to relax. She was certainly shaping up to be a good friend.

He realized with dread and terror as he watched her sleeping form that he was lonely again. And that Tabby, for everything she did or didn't know, was a charming woman that was lonely too.

 _She likes you,_ Ren had said.

Was that true? Of course it was. He was no fool…at reading people anyways. If anything, she clearly trusted him. Maybe a little too much. And it didn't matter anyways; once this whole thing was solved, both he and Ren would be leaving regardless. There was no point in even entertaining the idea of becoming attached…even if watching her made his heart speed up in his chest.

That was that.

"Hey," Floyd said softly, nudging Tabby's shoulder. She moaned and moved her head so that she was basically in the cushion. He couldn't help but chuckle. "Tabby."

"Hmmmm?"

"Wake up."

She blinked and stretched, her mouth yawning wide as she shuddered from head-to-toe. "Uggghhhh Arceus, yes." She propped herself up on one arm, the other rubbing at her eyes. "That nap was…god-like." She yawned again. "Whadimiss?"

"Nothing except dinner," Floyd said, silently willing her to rise fully. "We could probably go down into the lobby and grab something."

"No need," Tabby said, mussing her long hair with her hand. "What are you hungry for?"

"Anything really," Floyd said.

"Okay, leftovers it is," Tabby said, swinging her legs off of him and standing up. She stretched some more and Floyd forced himself to look elsewhere, thinking about anything else. Ren, the car, home, something to distract…wait.

Where was…? "Tabby, is Ren over there?" he asked, looking on the other side of the couch.

"No, she isn't," Tabby said. "Maybe she went back to your room? She, ah, might still be mad at you."

Floyd frowned. That wouldn't be like Ren. Usually a hug and some petting was good to straighten her out, and she'd seemed fine during their talk.

"Something's not right," he decided. "I'm going to go look for her."

"Okay, we'll come with," Tabby said at once. She woke Blitz up by tickling his stomach, pulling on one of her winter jackets after. "Where do you think she might have gone?"

"If we're lucky, out for a walk," Floyd said. "But with everything that's been going on, I doubt we'll be so—"

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK._

"Lucky," Floyd finished, vaulting over the couch and to the door. He opened it and saw Griffin's face, which was tense and strained.

"Thank Arceus," the guard said, with as much emotion as Floyd had ever seen him show besides "taciturn". "Ren just came back inside from outside. She's hurt with a few broken ribs, she's in the Pokemon Center…and she brought something with her."

Floyd stopped listening after "she's hurt" and all but flew down to the lobby, skipping multiple steps at a time on the way down. A crowd had gathered in the lobby looking into the connected Pokemon Center. Both Nerevor and Vanessa tried to stop him and talk as he ran inside, but he pushed past them and stormed into the Pokemon Center's lobby, where a pink blob of a Pokemon blinked at him.

"Where is she?" Floyd asked. "Where is my Absol?"

Right about then, Nurse Joy walked from behind the double doors that led to the infirmary, her usual cheery expression muted. "She's alright. A couple of broken ribs. We gave her some Chansey egg and one of my Audino is healing her as we speak." She crossed the distance between them and put a hand on his arm, worry in her blue eyes. "Your Pokemon is going to be fine, I promise."

Floyd clenched his jaw. "Do we know who hurt her? I mean, she's…she's a strong Pokemon, someone had to have been _trying_ to hurt her…or…or worse!"

"Mr. Floyd," Nerevor said, boots clicking against the marble of the Pokemon Center floor. He turned and saw him, and the rest of the council staring at him worriedly. "There is something you need to see."

Nerevor passed him a stack of letters that seemed to have teeth marks in them. They all read mostly the same message, but one thing was for certain; all of them highlighted Corinth as a traitor.

"What are the odds?" Floyd asked sarcastically.

"I am a fool," Nerevor started. "I should have foreseen this. At the very least, my investigation should have caught wind of Corinth's treachery."

"It's not your fault, Nev," Zero said, his characteristic care-free grin gone. "You didn't know. We all trusted Corinth, even if he was an ass sometimes."

"Where is he?" Floyd asked.

"He must have left a while ago," Vanessa said. "The Abra checked his room as soon as Ren and the Sneasel showed up. He's not there."

"And the people in the letters?" Nerevor asked.

"I've ordered some of my trusted men to round them up," Griffin said, folding his arms. "No one's allowed in or out of Sanctuary until they're accounted for."

"Good," Nerevor said. "Nurse Joy, is Ren able to speak as of now? I would have questions for her."

"She needs her rest," Nurse Joy said, a wave of gratitude flooding through Floyd. "You'll have to speak to her later."

"Very well," Nerevor said, inclining his head. "These Sneasel then? Are they conscious?"

"All of them," Nurse Joy said with a nod. "Follow me."

The group was led back into the infirmary. Floyd passed a covered-off area that he was sure held Ren, and wanted more than anything else to go back and check on her.

"She's gonna be okay," Tabby said, stepping to his side.

"I know," Floyd said, clenching his fists. "Let's hope these Sneasel have something to tell us."

The other side of the infirmary was for Pokemon that apparently weren't injured enough to warrant intense treatment. Most of the Sneasel seemed to be fine, playing with an odd assortment of jewelry and trinkets. One of them, however, seemed to be watching over them all. She was more banged up than the others, and taller too.

"This is the pack leader of the Sneasel from what I can tell," Nurse Joy said. "They came in with Ren after she was attacked."

"Greetings," Nerevor said. "I am Nerevor, Arch-Mage of Sanctuary. We mean you no harm. I was wondering if you could tell me exactly what happened to you and Miss Ren earlier."

The Sneasel launched into a long rant consisting of chunks of its name that Floyd was familiar with from the days where Ren wasn't able to speak fluent English. He could always understand what she wanted from her body language, but Nerevor seemed to actually understand the words coming from the Sneasel's mouth.

"Very well then. Thank you." He turned to Griffin. "I need you and your Stoutland to search Corinth's room for a vial of sorts. I suspect that within the vial is a spray or cologne of sorts. It is likely that it will be odorless to you, but to Stoutland it will stand out as much as it did to Ren and these Sneasel here. If we find it…then it is even more outstanding proof that Corinth has betrayed us. Go quickly."

Griffin nodded, releasing a giant shaggy dog with a mustache thicker than his own from a Pokeball. "Russ, come."

"Stout!"

They took off down the hallway and left them behind.

"Nurse Joy, if it makes any difference, Ren was apparently attacked by a group of Haunter," Nerevor said.

"That makes all the difference in the world," Nurse Joy said. "I'll reorganize her treatment right away."

"Good. The rest of us must stand ready for…" He stopped.

"Nerevor?" Tabby asked. "What is it?"

His eyebrows knit together as he stared blankly at the wall behind him. "Trouble." A second later, Kazam teleported into the room, staring intently into his trainer's eyes. "It seems we have visitors."

Zero swallowed. "Hold up…you mean Corinth? He's here?"

"Then let's go kick his ass!" Tabby exclaimed. Blitz hooted alongside her, his flame roaring to greater heights.

"I agree," Nerevor said, much to the surprise of everyone in the room. "Come with me, my friends."

"Hold on," Floyd said. He knelt down and looked the leader of the Sneasel in the eye. "You were with Ren when she was attacked right? That means you had to have some part in helping her get out of there with all of those Haunter." He nodded gravely. "Thank you for her life."

Sneasel looked at him curiously, her eyes wide. "S-Snea…"

"If you could…if those Haunter come back…please keep her safe."

Sneasel smiled. "Snea!"

Floyd gave her a grin back as she gave him a high-five. "Alright. Thank you." He stood up and turned to face Nerevor. "Let's go see what Corinth wants, and pray for his sake that's not he's not here for a fight."

**###**

Corinth watched, his eagerness doing its best to leap from his heart, as Nerevor walked out into the street. The last of the sun's light was setting over the horizon, casting cold shadows onto the street.

This would be it. This would be where the first mark of true magi would be left.

He came alone save his Alakazam. It was either confidence or foolishness.

Corinth and his fifty followers couldn't have cared less. They were all handpicked for firing the first shot as he so eloquently put it. Powerful beyond imagination, and each one of them knew their mission, knew how important it was for the world to see Nerevor for the fraud he was.

Today, all of the magi that had died because of Nerevor's incompetence would feel the first parts of sweet revenge.

He and his followers had completely blocked off the street, the very city block humming with power. All around them, traffic had stopped, flowing around the site of the coming battle as though they could feel the tension. Since the Northern Quarter was mostly magical, they likely could. Nerevor walked from the Sanctuary doors alone, striding out into the middle of the street until he was but a few feet away from them all.

"Good evening, Corinth," Nerevor said, his voice light as his coat and beard blew in the wind. "I see you've brought guests. Will they be joining us for evening tea?"

"I'm afraid not, _sir,"_ Corinth said, grinning as he put venom on the last word. "No, I think you'll find they're all here for a mutual, far more violent reason."

"Is that so?" Nerevor asked. "And what would that be?"

"To kill you, old man!" one shouted. They all took up the cry, bloodlust in every shout, every syllable. Corinth's grin widened. He could feel the hatred in every pulse of power that radiated out from their group. That was good.

"I see," Nerevor said once the shouting had died down. "And this is in relation to my stance on the conflict between us and the Southern Quarter is that it?"

Corinth blinked. "What? How did you…"

"My dear boy," Nerevor said, shaking his head. "You are not nearly as clever as you think you are. The spray you used to meet with some of your followers may be odorless to us lowly humans, but a Pokemon is far better at detecting it. Unfortunately, it was your undoing. One of our more detective-inclined followed it all the way to your little hideout. And I'm afraid," he pulled out an envelope, the sight of which caused Corinth's vision to go a bit red, "that we have all the proof we could ever need against you. Of course, I had no idea you were coming straight towards me with your friends here." His eyes roamed over the group. "This is not all of them, I'm aware. But it is quite the number. You are all hoping to kill me?" He sighed. "I fear that it is my fault."

"You're damn right!" Corinth shouted. "How many, Nerevor? How many of our own people need to die before you finally stand up and do something about it!? Families destroyed, whole sects buried six feet in the ground! The graves pile up higher every month! You know it! You've _known_ it! And we know who's responsible! So why didn't you strike back? _Why did you let them get away with murdering my father?"_

Nerevor had no answer to that, his head bowed.

"I didn't blame you for his death, not at first," Corinth continued, angry that Nerevor wouldn't say anything. "I blamed those bastards in the South for taking him from us! I prayed and prayed to Arceus that one day, you'd march down there and teach them all to respect us, that there was _damn_ good reason for us to lay claims to our territory, that they had no _business_ attacking us! _AND YOU DID NOTHING! YOU STOOD BY AND WATCHED AS MOTHER WITHERED AWAY INTO A SKELETON, YOU WATCHED AS THESE PEOPLE AROUND ME LOST LOVED ONES LEFT AND RIGHT!"_ The terrible cold hardened into ice around Corinth's heart, the snow beneath his feet stirring up in response to his rage. "THAT was when I realized it. IT WAS YOU WHO WAS THE PROBLEM!" He pointed furiously to Sanctuary, where he knew the outworlder was resting. "You'd rather help a stranger from a world we don't even know about than protect your own! What kind of a _leader_ do you claim to be?"

"FAKE!"

"TRAITOR!"

The cry of traitor took up within their small ranks, more magical power thrumming as the rage built up. It was nearly time…but Corinth wanted to hear what _he_ had to say.

"Have you nothing to say?" Corinth asked. "Nothing?" He sneered. "Fine. It doesn't matter. After I finish dragging your precious students out here one-by-one and ending _them_ like those savages south of us did to our families, maybe _then_ we'll see—"

"That is enough."

He was so taken aback from being interrupted that he lapsed into silence. Nerevor was looking up now, staring into Corinth's eyes.

"I will admit…I have made many mistakes. I should have protected you, all of you…your families. Their deaths are my fault. But that responsibility falls to me and me alone. You can hate me. You can capture me, torture me, and drain me of all the power I've amassed over so many years. Only when I'm begging for death would you kill me…and you would be right to do so. But your anger caused you yet again to make a rash decision in coming here. You shouldn't have crossed the line, Corinth."

Nerevor's icy blue eyes flashed a vivid purple.

" _Don't ever threaten my students."_

Quicker than he could react, almost faster than he could blink, Corinth watched in terror as a furious array of multicolored electricity surged in every direction from his old master's body and began roaring up to pierce the dark skies. He used his magical senses and nearly keeled over from the input he was receiving. This power…not even the outworlder…no one could ever been this strong! Around him morale began to shatter like glass against rocks, fighting spirit lost in the sight of such sheer strength.

It was over. He'd miscalculated, and now he would pay eternally for it.

Nerevor took a single step forward, a thunderclap ripping from the pavement and washing over the Liberated as they flinched as a collective. " **This is your only warning,"** Nerevor's voice boomed over the street. **"Submit now or I will force you!"**

Corinth grit his teeth. Returning to Olivier with absolutely no progress would be worse than getting captured, and even then, he'd never see the light of day again if Nerevor won the war.

No. There was no going back.

"ATTACK!" Corinth roared. "IF WE KILL HIM, THIS ENDS! ATTACK IN THE NAME OF OUR FALLEN FRIENDS! OUR FAMILIES! NOW!"

Hoping his allies would follow his example, Corinth screamed as his muscles and mind were pushed to their limits, summoning enough Ice magic to kill scores of men before hurling it at the Arch-Mage of Snowpoint.


	17. Chapter 15: Crisis in the North

**Chapter 15: Crisis in the North**

Tabby gaped at the sight of the furious power rolling towards Nerevor. Corinth had never given _any_ indication that he was so strong. His magical strength made up for his physical shortcomings, but he'd never, _ever_ displayed magic on this level.

Any novice facing that spell would have died _instantly._

Unfortunately for Corinth, Nerevor was no novice.

The man didn't even move, didn't even blink as he watched the blizzard approach him. Seconds later, the gale was upon him, enveloping him completely in a storm of cold fury. Tabby had seen what frostbite did to people, and it was one of the reasons she didn't like Ice magic to begin with.

Granted, being burned alive was probably no better, but to each their own.

Regardless, a regular person would have found the blood frozen in their veins, limbs turned to little more than shriveled blackened husks of their former selves and…well, very, very dead.

The gale pulsated three times, the icy winds howling and snapping around each other…and then it exploded outwards, hundreds of ice shards the size of her forearm screaming out from the center and embedding themselves wherever they chose to land. One hurtled towards the main door of Sanctuary, but purple light flashed and intercepted it, crumbling it to powder before it even got to the doorstep.

Nerevor stood unharmed, his back to Sanctuary in the same pose he had taken up when releasing his power.

"Vanessa!" Nerevor shouted, his voice still carrying from the street with ungodly volume. "See to it that Sanctuary is secure! Do not open the doors until absolutely necessary!"

"ATTACK!" Corinth screamed. "BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ARMS! ATTACK NOW!"

With a shout of fury, another blizzard stormed from his fingertips to slam into Nerevor. Arcs of electricity screamed in the sky and hurtled down to incinerate Nerevor from above as storm magi lifted themselves into the air and began their assault. A number of magi that specialized in the Ground type stepped forward and hooked their fingers into claws, pulling and shoving at the ground. Quakes began to rip through the ground, shaking foundations of buildings and causing the very soul inside of Tabby's body to quiver uncontrollably. Moments later, the snow-covered, frozen ground split open. Gaping chasms with sharp rocky teeth opened to swallow Nerevor, snapping shut every so often with enough force to atomize anything caught in them. More blizzards howled from the hands of the opposing forces, freezing everything in their path. And just when Tabby was sure that there was enough magical force to wipe Sanctuary and especially Nerevor off the map, the Liberated started giving him more. Fire magi leapt into the air and started raining down fireballs and fire storms from the sky, more storm magi leaping into the air and sending horrible twisters to amplify and fan the flames.

Nerevor fought them all.

The wind and fire was sucked into one of his outstretched hands, condensed into a ball smaller than the palm of Tabby's hand. The electricity bounced off of a transparent ward above Nerevor, fizzling out into sparks as Nerevor spread his hands again. The flames rolled out in a blistering wave of power, washing over the Liberated and forcing them to scatter in a panic. Wards went up to deflect the worst of his power, while some more of the Liberated struck back with rocky spires big enough to pierce the buildings around them. Most of them hurtled towards Nerevor, though some once again veered off to slam into the shields surrounding Sanctuary. The wards vibrated under the strain but held, though dust rained from the ceiling and the crowds standing in the foyer. The lights flickered as the youngest of the crowd began shouting and screaming.

Vanessa swore under her breath and summoned magic, floating in the air. "Anyone with children, students of Sanctuary, and those below the age of 16! Please relocate to the quarters and commons accommodate those who don't have room! Move out!" The crowd shuddered and began to move as one, flowing towards the halls. "Security team! Escort the younger and make sure everyone is orderly! If you are over the age of 16, you may stay if you wish! Please don't run! Do not panic!" An ear-shattering boom rumbled outside in the street as the furious 50-one-1 magical rumble continued. "We will hold them! Keep moving!"

Another terrible rumble, and the lights flickered again. Floyd stirred next to Tabby and started for the stairs.

"Floyd, where are you going?" Tabby asked.

"To suit up!" he replied. "Nerevor is going to need our help!" He didn't wait for a reply, but instead sprinted up the stairs to his room.

"He's right," Vanessa said, landing back on her feet. "Nerevor can defend, but there are fifty of them out there, and they're bound to get lucky soon."

"What about the senior students?" Tabby asked. The foyer was far from deserted, but the security team was doing a fantastic job of filtering out the masses. No one else was staying behind besides herself, Vanessa and Zero.

"Between you, me, Griffin, Zero, and especially Floyd, I think we can take them," Vanessa said with smirk.

Right about then, a great woof split the remaining crowd middling in the lobby as Griffin and his Stoutland returned from upstairs. Griffin had his standard look plastered on his face, with a grim tone hidden underneath. His hand was clutching a canister of some sorts.

"Corinth is guilty as charged," Griffin said as he approached, shaking the canister. Another boom shook the framework of Sanctuary. "Though I'm guessing he's outed himself already."

"Right," Vanessa said. "We're fighting."

Griffin let out a grunt. "Is that right? Best not keep the kid waiting then. How many?"

"About fifty."

"Fantastic." He glanced around their little group, then looked at Tabby. "Where's your boyfriend?"

Despite the situation, Tabby felt herself flush. "He's changing into his armor, and he's not my boyfriend."

Griffin smirked. "Right. Well then. It'd be rude to keep Corinth waiting for the fight he so wants."

"So let's give it to 'em," Zero finished.

As one, they left the main entrance of Sanctuary behind and stepped out into the freezing cold, where the war against one man was still being waged. A furious light flashed as soon as Tabby and the others stepped onto the frozen pavement, and a brilliant arc of lightning ripped from down the street and towards the four of them. Without even flinching, Vanessa flicked her hand and summoned a great pillar of earth before the blast. The electricity slammed into it with enough force to pulverize flesh, but sank into the earth and fizzled out. With another flick of her wrist, the pillar was sent tumbling towards the Liberated in a wall of death, forcing some of them to stop their assault on Nerevor to take it down before it rolled over them.

Nerevor risked a glance backwards, and Tabby's heart skipped a beat. He had definitely been holding, but it had only been a few minutes, and he was already looked a little ragged. "Vanessa? No, no, you must go inside! We…look out!"

A hail of firebolts seared from the sky, turning the dreary night into a palette of blooming oranges and reds. Tabby ran forward and held her hands aloft, the firebolts changing course and heading straight for her instead of their targets. It swirled together into a massive inferno, one that began to escape her control even as she tried her best to manage it.

"Blitz!" Tabby called, her arms quaking with the strain. Her trusty Infernape loped next to her and snarled, the flame on top of his head roaring to a crescendo and absorbing the fire that swirled in a blaze above Tabby's head.

"INFERNAPE!" he shrieked, rushing forward and clapping his hands together. A shock wave surged from the action, and moments later, a wall of flame that made Nerevor's pale in comparison boiled forth, melting solid stone and steel and practically giving away a free burn to anyone who looked at it. There was much screaming from the Liberated as they grouped up to defend it, mostly Ice magi this time. Corinth led them, shouting as they raised the remaining snow from the ground and formed a frosty wall for the fire to chew away at. An explosion bloomed as superheated steam rushed towards Tabby and her friends, quickly blocked by Nerevor's ward.

"You must retreat," Nerevor said, squinting as the steam billowed around their protective sphere. "They are only after me. If I am slain, the Sanctuary wards will persist with greater strength. There is no reason to risk your lives!"

"I agree with you, Nev," Zero said, unclipping a Pokeball, "but we can't leave ya behind! You _carry_ this team! And besides, I've been itching to kick some ass for a while now!"

"We're with you," Vanessa said.

Nerevor nodded. "If you refuse to retreat, then so be it." He glanced forward, the steam beginning to clear. "They are getting into a formation. The storm magi are occupying mid-air, while Corinth is leading a charge of Ice magi. Ground magi are, well, on the ground, and some Fire magi have taken to the skies as well. Tabby, Vanessa, I will need your help dealing with the Fire and Ground attacks. Zero, Griffin, you must go on the offensive. Do what you must, but we must strive to show restraint wherever possible."

The crack of Pokeballs filled the air as Zero released his Pokemon. He hopped aboard a giant shiny Cryogonal, while an Alolan Sandslash and a Mamoswine stood tall, roaring their respective names. "Alright guys. You listen to Nev, and do what he says. Snowflake, we're takin' the fight to them!"

"Cryo!"

"No more games!" Corinth shouted from the other side. "Anyone who sides with Nerevor is a traitor to their own community! KILL THEM ALL!"

"Defend yourselves!" Nerevor shouted.

A battle cry roared from both sides despite the limited participants, and the fighting began in earnest.

**###**

"As you can see, ma'am," Olivier said to the screen in front of her, "the Northern Quarter is in complete uproar. I've never seen such fighting before and…well, I believe that Nerevor is behind all of this."

She spoke to the Sinnohian Government, each member connected via secure video call, and even worse, the Sinnoh Pokemon League Champion herself: Cynthia. The woman had aged like fine wine, the many years as Champion and the responsibility that came with the position barely having any effect on the lines of her face or the beautiful shade of blonde in her hair. Her blue eyes stared at Olivier so intently, it was almost as though she was actually in the room with her. Of course, the rest of the government council would have a say in what was to come, but Cynthia was the one Olivier needed to convince the most.

"And what are we to make of these plans and diagrams that were sent to us, Olivier?" Bertha of the Elite Four asked. Her ripe old age hadn't done anything to dull her mind unfortunately. "A bomb of sorts? A weapon? Even if old Nerevor is citing conflict up there, I doubt even he wants to level the city."

Cynthia nodded. "I agree, Olivier. The situation doesn't look good for you. We need answers now." There was a murmur of agreement.

Olivier's heart began to sprint, though she kept her face calm. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you'll take a look at video being shown." She nodded to her assistant, who brought up security footage from the Hub raid. It showed Floyd dashing around in that armor of his, taking out her guards and infiltrating the building. "As you'll see, this man infiltrated our main base of communications with you and the rest of the world. We have reason to believe that he is in league with Nerevor, and deliberately induced sabotage in order to shift the attention from their recent war efforts onto us."

Lucian of the Elite Four grumbled over the call, pushing his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose. "Nerevor's a good man, and an even better magical scholar. I've never got the impression that he was malicious of any sort. Dangerous? Absolutely. It's magic. Even I don't fully understand the limits of it on the human body, and I am still in practice. Nerevor is much stronger than me, stronger than any human alive as of now. But he was never…deceptive."

"Then we have all been played for the fool," Olivier said. "Earlier today, a group of insurrectionists came to me with evidence of his crimes and asked for my help in reinstating a more proper leader of the magical community. Some of our fundamentalist magi who have joined our ranks went with them to talk out a deal with Nerevor and…well, you can see for yourselves." She waved a hand, and the assistant shifted the camera feed to the CCTV footage overlooking the deepest parts of the Northern Quarter.

It was a miracle the camera was even still functioning. Even from here, Olivier could feel the raw magical forces being slung back and forth between Nerevor and Corinth's little band of rogues. A blast of lightning that quite literally could have torn apart an army ripped forth across the screen and dazzled the camera, sending it into a convulsion before the feed cut out and was replaced with static.

"Nerevor has turned violent, and is attacking them even now." Olivier hated this part, but she needed to win their trust, otherwise she was going to have a lot more problems than Cynthia and her friends coming to check up on her. "Ladies and gentlemen, I must ask you; why would I ever plan to demolish a city that I have worked so hard to maintain? In the years you have put me in charge here, complaints and violence have dropped to their minimums for the first time since the Magical Education Act that was put in place at the end of the Galactic War! People are safe here, but for how much longer, I cannot say. If you give into the lies Nerevor and his friends have spread, then you are letting them win this…letting them win my city."

The Elite Four, Cynthia, and the other bean counters of the government cut Olivier's audio from the call and began to deliberate as Olivier stood rooted to the spot, waiting for judgment.

And suddenly, she was absolutely sure that the Psionic was watching. She could feel his presence, like someone was walking on her grave.

The second they came to a conclusion and decided to take her out of power, the Psionic was going to kill her.

A bead of sweat rolled down Olivier's right temple as her audio was restored and Cynthia began to speak.

"Oliver…the circumstances are most definitely suspicious. But…given that you can't create magical forces of that magnitude without trying, your story has some merit. This insurrectionist in your formal report was named Corinth, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am. He was one of Nerevor's closest associates, and was frequently seen in the Northern Quarter."

Cynthia nodded. "If he truly is resisting against him, he must have a reason to do so." She shook her head. "I want this conflict solved, Olivier. We all do. The last thing Sinnoh needs is more anti-magic sentiment. We allowed you to govern Snowpoint under the explicit condition that you find a way to negotiate permanent peace between two hostile communities." Olivier had to hold back her snort; _they_ hadn't put her there. "You've nearly accomplished this, and you are right; hostilities in your reports have been at an all time low. We've heard nothing but warm regards from visitors entering and leaving Snowpoint. So…we're choosing to give you the benefit of the doubt. But do not think of this as getting off scot-free. It is a warning; get Nerevor and the magical community under control _now._ Afterwards, there will be an official investigation to tidy up any loose ends…on _either_ side of the story. For now though…"

"I'm still in charge?" Olivier asked.

"Yes," Cynthia said. "Do not make us regret this generous change of heart, understand?" Olivier nodded, relief threatening to turn her legs to water. "We expect an update in the next two weeks. Do not disappoint us."

The call ended, and Olivier visibly swayed on her feet, leaning against the desk as she blinked rapidly.

"Ma'am?" her assistant asked. "Should I…"

"Leave me, now," Olivier said, not looking up. "I need to…catch my breath."

The assistant swallowed and left the transmission room wordlessly, the door sliding shut with a hiss behind him.

"I know you're there," Olivier said when he had left. "I suppose this means you don't have to kill me."

"No, I suppose not," the Psionic's voice rang in her mind. "Impressive work, Olivier. For once, our hopes weren't dashed on the craggy shores of your ignorance. Dare I say…you've done well." Olivier let a small smile pull at the corners of her mouth. "Oh, but don't take that satisfied look just yet, my dear. You may have—narrowly—avoided a rather painful death, but there is still so much work for you to do. Nerevor is still not dead, and your anomaly still lives as well. I give you the same message that Cynthia just did; do not disappoint me."

The Psionic's presence faded from Olivier's mind as her legs really did turn to water this time, forcing her to sit down in a chair as she watched the Northern Quarter rip itself apart.

**###**

A roaring curtain of flame slashed towards Nerevor's line of defense, just as hot and terrible as the last one. Tabby stepped forwards and raised her hands with a shout, orange light flickering beneath her skin as the flames rushed to devour her.

"Redirect, Tabby!" Nerevor shouted. "Do not waste energy absorbing! Redirect!"

Tabby let out a quick breath and waved her arms above her head in a fluid motion, letting the flames wash over her but not consume her. They responded to her call, becoming less chaotic as she reshaped them into a ring, then hurtled them back towards their enemies. The street went up in a blinding flash of light as the flames exploded, trying their hardest to chew through enemy defenses. The ones on defense tried their hardest to quench them with Mist and other wards, but that took way too much time.

"Blitz, don't let up! Flame Wheel, everything you got!" Tabby ordered.

She copied the acrobatic Pokemon's actions, flipping into a cartwheel as flames kickstarted around the both of their bodies. Landing on their feet, they launched the attack forward as it swelled to quadruple the original size and slammed into the opposing forces. Once again, blinding flashes of light overtook the street, leaving Nerevor open to attack. Psychic energy surged and grabbed a few stragglers who had pushed up, likely those specializing in the Fighting type needing to get close. They were seized with pinkish-purple auras of energy, picked up, and slammed into the ground with titanic force. Some began screaming, and some were either knocked unconscious…or worse.

"Incoming, Vanessa!" Nerevor shouted.

Tabby's eyes flicked upwards and saw the terrible beam of electricity arcing straight towards them, ready to fry every atom in her body. Vanessa was up to the task however, and slammed her hands onto the cold asphalt. The ground heaved and folded, then snapped up in a giant wall of earth and rock to absorb the electricity. The explosion was much greater than the previous attack, and blew Tabby and Blitz off their feet, causing them to roll behind Vanessa and Nerevor's line of defense.

"Are you okay?" Vanessa asked, picking Tabby up.

"Fine," Tabby responded, glancing upwards again. Another hail of comets blurred towards them, and before she could get the breather she wanted, Tabby was up again.

Flexing her arms, Tabby rocketed into the sky with the aid of a foot-powered Fire Blast and lashed out with a fiery whip, striking the comets out of the sky. They roared as they were torn apart, and blew embers every which way that threatened to sear the skin from her body unless she protected herself. Tabby bunched herself together, calling upon the raw magic of Normal, and formed a Safeguard around herself, the mystical air dispelling the simmering particles from around her. Nerevor caught her with Psychic force as she landed, then struck back with an attack of his own. He flung a titanic blast of air the Liberated, who were forced to scatter even more as the strong winds picked up debris, people, and even cars and flung them hundreds of feet away.

So in the Liberated's response, a Dragonite took the skies.

"Drago…!" Tabby heard the impending doom in the Pokemon's call even from all the way down here. Her magical senses detected a surge of Dragon energy and all at once…it started.

Six, seven, nine, twelve comets all screamed from nowhere and were upon them at once, falling almost too fast for her to track. Griffin acted fast and slammed his forearms together, and in response, some of the cars lining the street lifted themselves off the ground and flew to his call. They soared into the skies and knocked comets off course, most into Sanctuary where they pounded into the wards and disintegrated into dust. Mamoswine and Sandslash also helped where they could, flinging Ice Beams and giant icicles into the sky.

But they missed one. The meteor was so close, it was hard to look up and not see its burning surface.

"Zero!" Vanessa shouted nervously, covering her head with her hands.

But Zero and Snowflake soared up to the task, the eccentric Gym Leader squinting into the meteor's harsh light.

"Sheer Cold!"

"CRYO!" The Crystallizing Pokemon took a deep breath and exhaled, a wave of, well, sheer cold billowing forth to wrap around the Draco Meteor. It was chewed apart instantly, and the wave of cold continued up and up, rushing towards the Dragonite who had fired off the attack. Tabby heard its squawk of shock then closed her eyes as the gale enveloped everything and exploded with a flash. Nerevor's gnarled hands closed around her shoulders and pulled her down as the world began to tremble from the raw power output, more waves of cold radiating from Snowflake's powerful attack. When all was clear again, the street looked like a picture-perfect winter wonderland. Frost had covered every surface except for a 10-foot radius where Nerevor had put up yet another ward around them. The holes and melted asphalt from the blasts of heat and fire had been completely frozen over or filled with fine, powdery snow. Even the earth itself had split open, snow and ice forcing its way into microscopic cracks and tearing its way free. The Dragonite from earlier had crashed to the ground, encased in a shimmering block of ice.

"Where the hell did they get a Dragonite?" Vanessa asked. "Olivier would have disappear-ed them if she found out there was a Pokemon that powerful in the city!"

"But we wouldn't have." They all looked over at Griffin, whose face was locked in snarl. "Damn it! Even if they are betraying us now, it's likely that most or all of Corinth's friends have been living in Sanctuary, or at least close to it. They wouldn't have gotten their Pokemon taken away because Olivier was afraid of Nerevor's response. And now we're the prime targets."

"Fernape!" Blitz cried, pointing fervently.

Tabby followed his finger. "Oh, Arceus."

The cold mist across the way was clearing. The Liberated seemed to have liked the near success that Dragonite brought.

So they brought more.

Several Charizards, Golem, and a multitude of Haunter and Gengar. A small collection of Kadabra, one Alakazam, one more Dragonite, and worse still, a legion of Magneton and Magnemite swarming over the horizon.

"It's over!" Corinth shouted, a wild look on his face. "You're outnumbered and outmatched! Surrender Nerevor and we may just let you live! Resist…" He flexed his fingers, a wand of ice forming in his palm. "AND YOU WILL DIE! DECIDE!"

"Nev," Zero said, glancing over at him. "The senior students…we can…"

"No." Nerevor said. "Corinth will not spare anyone personally loyal to me. But as I said…" He swallowed. "The wards will become ten times as strong if I am slain. You must all shelter inside and wait for the League to come to you."

"No!" Tabby protested. "We're not going to let him kill you!"

"Do as I say, Tabby!" Nerevor snapped. The pained look on his face nearly made her cry. "Please…I can't lose you all too."

Tabby set her jaw and looked forward. "If we're dying, we're dying together."

"Agreed," Vanessa said, the ground crackling around her. Griffin set himself as well, and all of Zero's Pokemon let out a battle cry, stomping at the asphalt.

Nerevor shook his head, but a small smile tugged at his face. "Mad fools, all of you." Purple light flared once again behind his eyes as Kazam teleported beside him. "Especially you, my friend. Flee from here at once."

"Alakazam!" Kazam shouted, clasping its hands together. Psychic energy even stronger than some of what Nerevor had been putting out began radiating from its yellow body.

"Have it your way, my friends," Nerevor said. "And…thank you."

"FINE! ATTACK!" Corinth screeched.

The crowd of Pokemon and disgraced mages surged forward as one, pinpoints of power flaring to life in almost every space. Whipping firestorms, raging thunderstorms, the biting cold of blizzards and…

A power she didn't recognize?

The first attack was flung, a thunderbolt that would rend the flesh from their bones…and exploded against a white dome of light. The battlefield was clogged once again with smoke.

The Liberated stopped in confusion, staring at Nerevor.

He looked just as confused.

"Nerevor, was that…?" Vanessa started.

The smoke cleared once again…and standing in between her friends and the Liberated was a man in armor that seemed to blend with the black sky above, only visible from the remaining streetlamps that weren't destroyed and the shimmering white light that flowed around his fists. His cloak stirred in the slight wind, more so as he crouched down into a battle stance.

"Well, well, would you look at this my friends!" Corinth shouted, his sentence turning to a laugh halfway through.

The white light flowed through Floyd's entire body and lit his entire form.

"It looks like the hero of the day has come out to play!" Corinth sneered. "One chance, hero. You're looking for a way home, yes? Nerevor likely has materials or research forbidden to the rest of us. Join us, and we…what are you doing?"

Floyd was lifting one arm high above his head, the other arm sweeping underneath to join the first. His gloved hands met in the middle, then were drawn back to his sides wordlessly.

"You have one chance to leave," Floyd said. "If you stay, you will die."

Maybe it was the fact that Corinth was playing on Nerevor's pacifistic nature, or maybe it was that Floyd had used the word "die". Whatever the case, the threat seemed to work wonders on the man, as he visibly flinched and took a step back. "You're one man in a combat suit! I don't care how strong you think you are, do you really think you could defeat all of us?" His friends jeered and raised their voices, even the wounded who were being supported by some of the healthy. The Pokemon all unleashed blasts of lightning or fire or ice into the sky, and the Magnemite swarm became excited as it came closer to Floyd. "Magnemite!" Corinth said, regaining his composure. "Kill him or capture him! I don't care which!"

"Magnemiiite," the swarm buzzed, coming closer.

"Floyd, move!" Tabby pleaded. She began to run forward, but both Blitz and Nerevor held her back. "What the hell are you—"

She stopped in her tracks, looking upon Nerevor's lined face.

He was in awe.

Tabby turned back to her friend, who crouched lower and lower until he was basically in a rooted squat. His power surged…and the world began to shake apart. The pavement cracked. Debris was lifted off of the ground and began to swirl around his form. The white light around him reached a dangerous maximum, died, and then flowed into his cupped hands in the shape of a rapidly expanding ball.

A transfer of the horrendously strong energy from an aura…to an attack.

Everyone watching knew what was about to happen, including the Magnemite. With a collective screech, they all surged forwards, electricity leaping between each individual Pokemon to blast Floyd to smithereens.

"Protect Floyd!" Nerevor shouted. "Move!"

They ran forward as a collective group, magic surging between everyone there. Stopping behind him as to not be a target of the furious energy gathering in his hands, Nerevor went first and raised a powerful ward against their attackers just as the Magnemite and Magneton unleashed their array of Thunders and Thunderbolts. It was as though a hurricane had formed just around them, a horrific amount of energy gathering on top of them and turning everything a vivid yellow. Nerevor instantly went strained, struggling to keep his spell alive. Vanessa went into a rooted stance and thrust upwards, more pillars of earth flying together to create an unbreakable dome of solid dirt and rock. The attacks pounded into the earth, chipping away at their structure with every passing second.

"Griffin! Tabby! Put…put your hands on me! Give me…your energy!" Nerevor said through grit teeth. They did as he asked, and Tabby could feel magical forces radiate from her very being and flow into Nerevor, the same from Griffin as well. It was just as well that they did that, because Corinth let out another scream of a command, and the Liberated began firing at all cylinders. More Fire Blasts, Thunders, Hyper Beams, Ice Beams, gigantic pillars of rock slamming into the ward over and over again. The Magnemite refused to let up, the Pokemon refused to disappoint their masters, and the magi of the Liberated so desperately wanted them all dead.

"FLOYD!" Tabby screamed, shutting her eyes. "DO IT!"

The world shuddered again, it was going to come apart. She couldn't hold it, couldn't do anything, couldn't…

Right as her hand nearly slipped from Nerevor's arm, Floyd shoved his hands outwards with a violent shout, the loudest she'd ever heard his voice in the month she'd come to know him. It was a terrible, guttural sound filled with unyielding power and something ancient, older than Tabby could even begin to comprehend. The white light gathered there shuddered and vibrated, then expanded outwards in an overwhelming wave of energy. Floyd's power…his light blew away everything in its path. The dome of earth Vanessa worked so hard to conjure was shredded to atoms, exposing the Liberated and their Pokemon. Tabby could only watch for seconds before she was forced to close her eyes due to the intensity of the light Floyd gave off, but she both heard and felt the thundering howl of the energy as it ripped up stone and steel alike and destroyed all in its path.

Anyone who somehow managed to take no notice of the fight in front of Sanctuary was quickly snapped back to reality as the Northern Quarter went up in smoke and a fiery display of white light.

**###**

Far away, he awoke.

He had never felt power like that.

Interesting.

But a fluke.

And if not…

It would be snuffed out.

He felt the last dregs of the power fade away.

He faded away too, into a deep sleep.

But he would remember.


	18. Chapter 16: Fallout

**Chapter 16: Fallout**

Tabby uncovered her face as the rumbling of the earth began to subside. Her friends did the same, mouths hanging wide open just like her at the destruction Floyd's blast left in its wake. By some miracle, the entirety of the Liberated hadn't been completely vaporized. Likely all of the reserve power had been concentrated into a ward or something, because a cone of relatively untouched asphalt remained in the center, though it was empty besides a few groaning wounded that had been left behind. The Liberated had abandoned the fight, and it seemed more than likely that Corinth had lived to fight another day.

As much as she hated to know the cowards had turned to run rather than fight, Tabby certainly understood it.

Besides the protected cone of asphalt, Sanctuary's street had been completely leveled, only the buildings remaining unscathed from the duel. Brick, mortar, and asphalt had been ripped up and shredded so finely, you could use it as the softest of sands. The Magnemite and Magneton swarm had definitely been blown away, along with anything in the air or anything on the ground that hadn't been protected.

Tabby's eyes strayed from the ruined street to the shoulders of her friend, who still stood rooted as calm settled around them. How could one person ever be so powerful? Even Nerevor had never displayed such _destructive_ power…but he wasn't really known for fighting.

Even though she definitely appreciated the effort, Tabby was more than a little scared. She was reasonably certain that Floyd hadn't even really _tried._ Just a warning and whoosh, vaporization.

What kind of demon would he be if he _did_ try?

Floyd grunted and dropped to his knees, and Tabby snapped out of her trance. "What's wrong?" she asked, kneeling beside him.

Her eyes widened.

Floyd's mask folded back, allowing Tabby to watch him grimace and wince, though he gave a pained chuckle as he did so. "Corinth…definitely wasn't messing around. He redirected some of my attack…used it against me."

The armor was a mess on the outside. The sun, which she had seen flare radiantly with white light, was now a flickering husk of its former self, feebly attempting to flash like a dying thing. Wisps of smoke curled up from the areas where the now-charred armor plates separated to allow Floyd to move, not ceasing even as the carnage ended. The damage spread from his neck down to about his groin, and even as she watched, one of the armor plates clattered to the ground.

" _Warning: major concussive damage detected,"_ chirped the suit's mechanical voice into the air. _"Seek medical attention."_

The sun on Floyd's chest blinked rapidly and then dimmed for a final time just as Floyd fell forwards right on his face.

###

"…where you are…stay where you are…"

Static rushed before his eyes.

"…see you…us?"

Floyd shook his head, his tongue heavy in his mouth. "I…I don't…"

"…hear…find you…"

Something shifted in the static, almost like turning a radio dial _just_ right. It went from black and white grain to something resembling an actual picture of sorts. He could hardly see five feet in front of him, and he couldn't move his body at all. He was in a void of static now rather than it being right before his eyes, the only differences being the blurry, indistinguishable figures before him. There were three in total, and their only differences were in the voices.

"Oh my God," one said, stepping forward. The voice was clearly female, but it was so distorted; loud enough to hear but quiet enough to be a mumble, even though she was right in front of him. It was as if she was talking through a trashed voice synthesizer. "Keep it going for as long as you can, Vi!" Its head turned back towards him. "Can you see me? Can you hear me, Floyd?"

It took everything in him to respond. "Yes."

The first figure knelt down and stayed there for a moment. Floyd wondered what she was doing before he realized she was likely crying. Indeed, her blurry hands wiped at what were probably her eyes as she stood back up. "Okay, okay, oh my God, okay. Do you know who I am? Can you see us?"

"I…can't…"

The void of static rumbled as though there was an earthquake.

"We don't have long," a strained, garbled voice warned in the background.

The first figure nodded. "Okay listen. We've been searching all over the planet for you. Where are you, Floyd? We can't even track your suit, your arms, your legs, or Ren's Pokeball. Do they have you captive somewhere?"

Floyd strained against the forces keeping his tongue from doing what he wanted it to with all of his willpower. "Went through a portal."

"A portal? Okay, a portal. Where did it spawn? Where did it lead to?"

Floyd tried to swallow. "Don't…"

The world tilted on its axis and darkened. The white began to fade from the static until the entire space was nearly inky darkness.

"No!" the figure shouted, beginning to run towards him. Her legs moved as fast as they could carry her, but she never made any progress towards him. "Floyd! We're going to get you! You and Ren stay where you are! We'll find a way to get to you!"

Black threads shot from the closing pool of darkness and wrapped around the figure's neck.

"I promise! We're coming for you!"

The black threads tripled and dragged the woman into the dark.

"Just you wait… _wait for me!"_

The last two words echoed in Floyd's mind as the threads shot forward around him and dragged him into the void.

"Fall with us," a voice whispered in his ears and thoughts. "Fall with us. Be with us. Feel the call…of the void." It was an alien buzzing, inhuman and barely comprehensible to the limited sphere of his mortal brain. Out of all the things he'd seen, every obstacle he'd ever passed over and defeated, all of the imperfections of what sometimes seemed like a perfect world, this was certainly the strangest.

Because he felt at home.

The presence, though polluted, dark, and scary…it felt familiar. It put the bones beneath his crawling skin at ease, like he knew the power but couldn't _quite_ grasp its origin.

But even though he knew the power, he was still slipping…and then falling.

Falling forever into the shadows.

###

Olivier's eyes opened.

"Ah," she said with an air of satisfaction.

Everything was now going exactly to plan. What a fools he had been to fear this power. She felt so cold, colder than the most virgin of snow that fell in the north…but she was so powerful. She'd never even known what true power was. _True_ power didn't care how you kept the peace; whether through fear or loyalty, above all of them, people and Pokemon respected _power._

And she had enough power to do whatever she wanted.

The Psionic was a fool. To give her this strength haphazardly was a gigantic mistake…maybe even one he'd come to regret. She was growing stronger with every passing moment, and when she learned how to properly wield it, to control its more…violent effects.

Well…

She smirked and pointed at one of her dressers in the far corner of the room. She'd have to get up and walk more than a few steps to even open the damned thing. But now, a jet black tendril of pure shadow manifested from whatever hells existed in the next world shot forward at blinding speed and embedded itself into the wood of the dresser with a rattling thunk. Without losing any momentum, the shadow pierced through the other side of the dresser and into the wall before stopping.

When Olivier retracted the shadow, a clean hole with no resistance had been carved through the wood of the dresser and the dry wall.

Oh yes. This was going to do just fine.

And now, with Floyd's pesky self out of the way and the morale of Nerevor's little soldiers shattered…it was time to put her plan into motion.

She stepped out onto her balcony, the freezing air that came with the view meaning nothing to her now. She spread her hands to her sides, took a deep breath and inhaled much more than oxygen.

Souls. Fresh souls, spilled from innocent bodies and ripe for the taking. None of the enemies' souls had been released, but Corinth had left his "friends" that could have been saved for dead, giving Olivier much more to work with. She called upon the power stirring in her soul and issued a request—no, a command to come to her beck and call. Just like with the dresser, a shadowy thread erupted from her, spewing from the shadow her body cast from the light of the moon. It flared all the way up to the cloudless sky, seeming to absorb the blues of the midnight and turning it into a monochrome landscape. The ray of shadow finished its ascent and split into multiple slimmer rays, extending across Snowpoint City in a dome using Central Tower as an apex.

A grin split Olivier's face as she watched her shadows tear into the city. She wanted—needed every last soul she could get her hands on, and she was going to get them.

To the last drop.

Her consciousness split into more pieces than she could possibly imagine, and she watched the events take place. The first to go were the lingering souls of the fallen with the skirmish between Sanctuary and the Liberated. Their souls screamed and plead for mercy as they were absorbed, the shadows stabbing them and sucking them up like a sponge does water. At once, Olivier felt the twisted, freezing cold fill her more, instilling her with even more power with which to fuel the shadows. Her influence spanned recently deceased—the elderly who had passed, perhaps unfortunate miscarriages of humans, a predator Pokemon's most recent meal. All of their soul husks flooded Olivier's body and charged her with power.

The shadow within her demeaned to be set loose on everything, to devour even the living until it could become living itself. Part of her recognized how inhuman it was to even listen to the voice in her head, the whispers of the dead and damned.

The other half forced her head to tilt and smile as she watched the flow of souls increase, the shadows flowing towards her like black rivers of sorrow.

And it listened.

###

The lights were flickering like nothing Tabby had ever seen before. Part of her thought that the wards around Sanctuary were collapsing after the massive magical battle. It was growing colder, and the ground was rattling as well. An ominous feeling crept up her spine, made worse by the feeling that something was watching her.

But that couldn't be right. The wards simply _would_ not fail, especially since Nerevor was definitely still alive. Exhausted and barely conscious, but alive to be sure.

Something was wrong.

Nurse Joy screamed down the hall, and Tabby turned on a dime, hurrying with all speed towards the noise. She, along with a multitude of other patients and Pokemon, were looking out the window towards the ruined street, craning their necks to the sky. A few were comforting the terrified nurse, who sat on the ground shaking.

"What happened?" Tabby asked.

"I-I saw…I thought I saw a man!" Nurse Joy said through her fingers, her eyes brimming with tears. "But he looked…he looked like…"

One of the women comforting her nodded and looked as though she was going to be sick. "He looked like he was alive, but his face was stuck screaming. I think…Arceus…I think he was dead."

"Arceus help us!"

"Look, there's more!"

Tabby ignored the cries of the spectators and ran to the Sanctuary main entrance, where Vanessa and Griffin were wearily standing guard. Their necks too were craned to the sky, a look of incredulousness on Griffin's face that Tabby had never seen.

"What is it?" Vanessa asked slowly.

"Olivier's work," Griffin said. "But this…this is too much."

Tabby stepped past them and watched the streams of shadows zipping across the sky, sucking all the life and color out of their existence. On instinct, she used her magical senses to feel out what she was looking at and nearly threw up.

"Those are…" She covered her mouth. "Are those people I'm sensing?"

Griffin nodded slowly. "But they're…tainted."

"Undead," Vanessa said. "She's absorbing the souls of the dead."

Tabby stepped out into the street and watched the shadows flow towards a black cloud that was amassing far, far in the distance. She was willing to bet her life that it was forming over Central Tower too.

The world was ending, and what was worse, Tabby could think of nothing she could do to stop the hell that was unfolding before her very eyes.

The shuddering of the ground grew worse as the moans of the dead began to fill the night sky.

###

Ren stumbled out of bed, ignoring Sneasel's protests and limped to the door, her horn throbbing with agony as the world fell apart.

Things were getting very, very bad.

She'd heard Tabby and the others bring Floyd into another room. Had he been injured? That wouldn't stop the stubborn man. He'd go into Hell itself with only his right arm if he had to.

She ignored the rush of some of the other patients in the other rooms of the Pokemon Center and pushed open the door to the room with Floyd's scent all over it.

"Boss," Ren groaned, hopping up onto the bed. "Boss, wake up, come on. It's going to shit out there." She glanced at the window, and heard the moaning of an ominous wind. "My horn's never gone off like this—fuck!" She grit her teeth and pressed the horn against the bed as her consciousness was ripped from her body.

She was standing in a tower looking above everything. She was at the top of the world.

She could do _anything._

She could _win._

Ren snarled and pulled herself back into her own body, placing her paw on Floyd's chest. "Did I stutter? Get the fuck up, Boss."

She blinked and examined him closer. The sun on his chestplate was completely dark. It almost always pulsed the tiniest amount as he breathed if he slept in it, or at the very least radiated some type of power Ren could sense.

She could sense none.

"Hey," Ren said, nudging Floyd's face with her paw. "Seriously, Boss, come on. You're scaring me here."

Floyd stayed motionless.

"Hey. Hey!" She began to shake him furiously with her front paws, her ribs aching with every motion but she didn't care.

She felt like her world was ending.

"Boss! _Boss!"_ Tears pooled in Ren's crimson eyes, her voice rising to a shout and attracting attention. _"Floyd! Clarence Floyd, you wake up right this fucking instant! Do NOT leave me! You promised!"_

She didn't know how long she sat there yelling at him, but it felt like centuries had passed before Tabby was in the doorframe, her mouth covered as she watched Ren try to revive the Black Sun.

###

The shadowy threads clung to Floyd almost as fast as he could destroy them. In the void he'd been dragged to, he could use the full extent of his power, but it simply wasn't enough. Sheer numbers overwhelmed him, forced him to his knees and struck slight blows as they slipped between microscopic gaps in the armor. He fired off Solar Flare after Solar Flare into the inky darkness, brilliant bursts of white light that would destroy any lesser threat that dared to challenge him. But each time the shadows re-knit themselves, they forced him ever closer to the ground.

He spared a moment and looked up at the sky as he blasted away another cluster of shadow that threatened to swamp him. The light there was as vibrant as the light blazing from the sun on his chest, but it was getting further and further away.

He realized with horrible sense of dread that he wasn't being forced to his knees. He was sinking further and further into an even darker pool of shadows, and his knees were past the surface.

"No!" Floyd snarled, blasting away more of the repulsive energy. "Let me go! I made…I made Ren and Tabby a promise, damn it! Let me go!"

The ancient power that blazed in the sun on Floyd's chest roared with Floyd's struggle as he sank further and further into nothing.

###

Tabby watched horrified as Nurse Joy and her helper Pokemon did everything in their power to try and bring Floyd back to consciousness. Blissey egg, Heal Pulses, even assistance from the most skilled mages with the Normal and Fairy types, types that usually held the most power with healing.

It did nothing. His eyes stayed closed.

The ground rumbled again, and Tabby stepped forward, taking his gloved hand into hers.

"Please, Floyd," she whispered under her breath as the Nurse and Pokemon worked in tandem, letting the magi draw all the power they needed from her. "Please wake up."

She glanced up at Ren, whose eyes were still fixated on the sun on Floyd's chest. She had stopped crying, but she'd stopped talking too.

Nerevor was resting in his quarters, but it was likely he'd exerted himself more today than he had in years. He wouldn't be of any help right now, and Nurse Joy knew things about healing that even Nerevor was barely proficient at. Her friends, even herself…they couldn't do anything.

Floyd had told her that he believed in her, that she was wrong to think that she was worthless in their cause.

Right now, she felt as though her world was being ripped out from under her…and there was absolutely nothing she could do to help.

But wait.

Like always.

###

Corinth stumbled into Central Tower, bloodied and nearly dead. His right arm clutched at the blood staining the left side of his heavy coat, while his left leg dragged almost uselessly behind him. Alongside him, only a handful of the Liberated had survived the attempt to flee from Sanctuary. More had been there initially, but they'd fallen behind a long time ago.

The other ones that hadn't fallen behind had dropped dead when the shadows had torn down from the sky and began pulling on their souls. The healthier ones weren't affected, but the ones that were literally on their last leg choked and screamed to death, then collapsed lifelessly on the snow. Their souls flowed up into the massive stream of negative energy that was amassing over Central Tower.

"Olivier! Olivier! Damn you, Olivier! Where is she?" Corinth stumbled to the help desk, where a terrified secretary watched Corinth and the rest of the Liberated while shaking by her desk. "Get Olivier down here, NOW!"

"No need, Corinth. I am already here." Corinth flinched and turned around as the shadow of some of the lobby's greenery shivered and melted out into the center of the room. The other Liberated all swore or crossed themselves to Arceus, stepping away from the widening pool of shadow. It reformed into the woman he was familiar with but…

But something was wrong.

Her face had been marred by the black discoloration of her veins and the slight gray tinge that her skin had taken on. Her brown hair had become brittle as opposed to its usual lush state, and she wore a horrific grin as she stepped forwards. Her shadow rippled behind her, seeming to fluctuate whenever she stepped closer to one of their bodies.

Their living bodies.

"What the hell happened to you?" Corinth snarled. "I don't even care, actually. Almost all of my men were slaughtered on the streets tonight! We have no stronger foothold on Nerevor than we did before, the outsider is still with them and more powerful than we ever could have imagined, what _exactly_ are you doing to help _our cause?"_

"Patience, Corinth," Olivier said, beginning to circle him. "Everything is at hand."

Sweat pierced the crusted blood on his forehead. "What do you mean by everything is at hand?"

Olivier let out a quiet laugh as she continued to circle Corinth. "Tell me something, and be honest with me. Can you defeat Nerevor one-on-one? No holds barred…everything on the table…can you defeat him?"

Corinth swallowed, the action causing his wounds to throb. "N-no," he muttered.

"What was that? Repeat that for your followers here."

He felt all of their eyes staring into his soul. "No," he repeated louder.

"And why is that?"

"Because…because he is stronger than me. Stronger than all of us. None of us could defeat him unless the full might of the Liberated and your forces are behind us."

"Meaning that if I were to supply you with a legion of soldiers and you had all of your men behind you…we would stand a chance of invading Sanctuary?"

He didn't dare let her circle behind him without having an eye on her at all times. That terrible power crawled up his skin and made it shudder with revulsion. "Possibly. Wasn't that…wasn't that the plan?"

"Well now that I see you're at least competent enough to survive, it is." An icy cold finger drew a line on the back of his neck that made every hair stand on end. "I think you and I really can be efficient partners. And this…this is what you are going to do for me."

His own shadow boiled up and enveloped him, and he seemed to scream forever as he fell into a void. He felt himself get deconstructed, traveling as singular particles to some other hellish destination…and then it was over. He was on his own two feet, but he had a monstrous headache, and was nearly sick. Corinth summoned a gentle white shell of a spell, a tinkling bell chiming softly as he pressed his hands to his head and healed his headache.

"Where are we?" Corinth asked. It was nearly pitch black save for a singular red light on the ceiling.

"Have you ever been to Snowpeak, Corinth?" Olivier asked, her back to him.

"No," Corinth said. "I've never left the city."

"Oh, it's a wonderful place. Not nearly as cold, which is astounding given it is still situated in the northern region. Much like the people of Snowpoint, the people there are resilient and hard-working. Though I suppose another word you could use could be…stubborn. Regardless, most men aside from Nerevor and a few others fear one thing above all."

Corinth stayed silent as Olivier turned towards him. The movement was unnatural, as though a Pokemon was trying to copy human mannerisms for the first time and couldn't quite get it right. "Death."

"Death, above all other things, can make even the strongest of men quiver in his boots as it approaches him. It withers and steals life, always growing closer and closer with every passing year that we are alive. But what if one found a way to circumvent this process? What if one found a way to become immortal?"

Corinth scoffed. "That's impossible. I've been studying magic for years, and Nerevor for even longer than that. He even admitted himself that one day he'd die too, and that immortality was impossible. The old man is a liar and a fool, but he was certainly right about that."

Olivier shrugged. "To his knowledge." She turned back away from him. "Yes, it is true that no known magic can give the secret of immortality to mortals. But this power I have now…" The shadows took on a ghostly red hue underneath the light. "Regardless, I am now immortal, thanks to the souls of your fallen comrades and other dead beings in Snowpoint. You, however, are not. Nor is the Snowpoint Militia or your men. But the leader of Snowpeak had his curiosity peaked by the notion of immortality as well. And he has generously donated more than enough men towards our cause. Two thousand men total, in fact."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Corinth asked. "Can you make them immortal?"

"Not quite. But close." Olivier snapped her fingers and the light overhead blared to full strength along with others.

Lining the narrow corridor were hundreds and hundreds of niches that each contained a variety of wiring and circuitry, monitoring the health of each person hooked up to the machines.

But then, person was to be used _very_ loosely.

The figures looked humanoid enough, but no human he knew was pushing eight feet tall, and unless Corinth missed his guess, all of the things in the niches were as tall as their brethren. They were clad in gleaming white plate armor that gave off a noticeable glare even in the dim light, their heads wrapped in the same plate with only a horizontal slit at eye level to see through. There wasn't a touch of any other color but that perfect white anywhere else, besides the darker tinge where the plates overlapped.

But the chestpieces…

"That symbol…" Corinth stated, growing angry just looking at it. His wounds even seemed to shudder with distaste.

Olivier shrugged. "I don't know why he wears that symbol on his chest, but it seems that they mean two radically different things, don't they now?" That grin spread further on her face. "It's poetic. Whoever has the brightest light will rule the day. The sun will rise…but which one will it be? Let's find out!"

She hooked her fingers into claws and screamed in ecstasy, or maybe in agony as her power flared once more, tendrils of shadow fragmenting into the suits of armor. They began to quake and vibrate, and as one they all seemed to scream, muffled from the thick metal of their own armor.

They were trapped, Corinth realized. Trapped with no way out.

Olivier groaned, the veins beneath her skin turning blacker still as she absorbed the souls of the dying men. Not even using his power to sense magic, he could still feel the awful presence radiating off of her like heat from a fire. "Rise! Rise and fight for me! Death does not release you from service!"

One by one they stepped from their niches and landed upon the ground knee-first, their weight cracking the concrete below them. Down the hall, further than Corinth could see, he could hear the rest stepping down.

And then as one, they turned towards Corinth.

"These suits are bounded with tiny fragments of their original souls," Olivier said. "They are bound to me, and will crumble when I'm gone only. But I have more pressing matters to attend to now. Someone will need to command them. Someone who can wield that sort of power."

Corinth grinned, wiping some blood from his forehead. "I think I can do that."

"Cleansers," Olivier said, raising her voice. "My first command is to do whatever this man tells you to. Otherwise, you will guard me with your lives."

The Cleansers stood at attention, waiting for Corinth's first order.

"Excellent," Corinth said, clasping his hands together. The pain in his side was inconsequential now.

Victory was so close, almost so guaranteed, he could almost taste it.

"Olivier, you'll have Snowpoint on a silver platter." Corinth said. "This is what I need, Cleansers."

###

Floyd sank further into the shadows. They wrapped around his head and dragged him in further.

The light above was so far away now even though he hadn't sank much.

It was over.

…

…

…

" _Boss!"_

…

" _Boss…you promised!"_

" _Floyd, wake up. Please wake up!"_

Ren.

Tabby.

Floyd opened his eyes.

He'd made a promise, hadn't he? To both of them. He wouldn't leave Ren in a foreign world. And he wouldn't leave Tabby to fight alone.

Floyd's fist punched through the dome of shadows that had covered his head, a ray of light jetting up to touch the light above. His free hand gripped the edge of the dome, which was rapidly re-closing, and heaved himself out, the shadows sticking to his armor like hardened cobwebs. He realized why the power had felt so familiar. It was the feeling of impending doom, of death rushing to meet him. He'd felt it so many times now, he ought to have known it from the start.

The shadows and the things in the shadows were dead. But he was alive.

And he planned to keep it that way.

The veins stood out on Floyd's neck and on his forehead as he flexed every muscle in his body, power coming roaring to his call. He let it loose with one blood-curdling scream, the white light expanding from the sun on his chest and enveloping him in gigantic ball of energy. It rippled outwards, destroying the shadows that repeatedly tried to reattach to him, to fuel their faux lives with his own.

But he had a promise to keep.

His light touched the top of the seemingly infinite black void, and his body was pulled skyward.

###

Floyd opened his eyes and was immediately greeted by a hug that threatened to send him back to wherever it was he was coming from. He managed to lift his hand and place it on Tabby's back, rubbing it soothingly.

"Yeah," he said softly over Tabby's rather vocal words of worry and outrage. "I'm okay."


	19. Chapter 17: Advance

**Chapter 17: Advance**

"Four days?"

Tabby nodded, her hand in Floyd's, her thumb sliding over the smooth, cold metal.

She'd get to that later.

"You wouldn't respond to anything," Tabby explained. "Your body didn't function…you didn't need water or need to eat, you didn't even need to use the bathroom. We thought…I thought…" She shook her head and took a deep breath. "Whatever the case, I'm glad you're back. The whole damned building started shaking so I figured you were finally waking up."

Floyd put his hand on his face, and then seemed to silently realize what was different. A moment of silence passed between them as Tabby sat there. She wasn't going to make him tell her about this. It seemed personal…and she'd already made him do it once. There were still things he didn't know about her, and her him.

"When did this happen?" Floyd asked.

"Ren helped us remove your armor. It's relatively undamaged, just the outside looks like it's been through hell. When we took it off of you though…" She pursed her lips and then continued speaking. "Ren said that the backlash from your attack…I guess the simple way she explained it was that you can't really defend against yourself. So the armor took the brunt of it but some of your energy burned you. When we healed the burns…that's when we noticed. The skin was…peeling away."

A shadow had crossed over Floyd's face, and he rotated in his bed and stood up without any noticeable effort. That made sense, she supposed.

Floyd's arms and legs were metal. Not simple prosthetics that one could leave under the bed, but heavy, near-realistic metal limbs. They bent and moved exactly like a real arm would, and if the artificial skin wouldn't have come off, it was likely she would have never known.

Finally Tabby couldn't take it anymore. "Why didn't you…why didn't you tell me?"

Floyd shrugged as he looked out the window. "It's private. The story I told you a while back, a lot of people know it back on our Earth. Our lives are sort of public, with all the things we've done. But not a lot of people know about…these." He rotated his arm seamlessly. "Who else knows here?"

"Nurse Joy and her Pokemon. That's it. I helped with the burns because I'm good with fire."

Floyd nodded. "You're probably wondering what happened. And I still haven't told you the full story about me yet."

Tabby stood up and joined him at the window. "You can if you'd like."

Floyd looked down at his hands, examining the faint scratches in the metal. "I didn't grow up like a normal person. I was raised by robots until I was old enough to go to middle school. I'm sure that probably explains a lot about why I'm so…"

"Quiet," Tabby said, but she didn't say it as a joke.

"Right. Regardless, the reason I grew up that way was because of the laws the gods set to govern our universe." He concentrated for a moment. An orb of that white light that he used hovered above his palm. "See, my parents…they're not actually human. They're gods. Commander-in-chief of all of the ones we know of, in fact. A long time ago, before humans on our universe had even been little microbes of cells, the gods had a war between themselves, and, to prevent it from happening again and destroying reality, refused to let any more gods be created. But when humans did come around, they seemed to like us. They enjoyed watching us stumble around and try to find our own path, even though to them our lives are over in the blink of an eye. So Light—my father—had an idea. He didn't want to be responsible for protecting humanity and everything else all the time. For gods on our universe, it takes a tremendous amount of energy to even manifest in our world for minutes at a time. So instead, he and my mother Meridia manifested and overshadowed two humans. The baby that was born would have tremendous combat prowess and leadership skills, would be faster and stronger and smarter than average humans even at the peak of their strength and ages."

"The problem was, even though the rest of the gods liked humans as well, they didn't like that Light and Meridia would have a direct line to humanity that they could influence. So in order to balance things, every Lightborn is given a fault of sorts, whether mental or physical. Mine was the latter." His hand closed with an air of finality.

"You were born without arms or legs?" Tabby asked.

"Mm," Floyd said. "But thanks to Mom and Dad, I was guaranteed to have the skills to survive. With the help of my robots, I built my own limbs to stand on and fight with and now," he spread his hands, "here we are."

Tabby looked away, unsure of what to say. It wasn't just his arms and legs. His body…it was covered in old scars or wounds that had healed. He'd seen hell, and plenty of it. The fact that he kept going, even from day one…that took strength you couldn't build.

"We don't have time to sit here and think about what's already done." Stunned, Tabby turned back towards him. There wasn't any self-pity on his face, no fatigue in his form. He was back, and ready to get to work. "I've been gone for four days, right? Fill me in. Tell me everything."

Tabby nodded. "Right. Come on."

###

"Residents of Snowpoint City. As you are all probably aware, last night there was a violent disturbance in the Northern Quarter, and prior to that, a disturbance in Central as well. As you are also probably aware, there have been rumors of a gigantic device or bomb being constructed right here in the heart of the city. These rumors are all false, perpetrated by the same aggressors that were responsible for the upheaval of the city twice in one week. The oldest among you will know the name Nerevor to be familiar. By now it is likely you have seen his followers in the streets protesting, or even seen or felt acts of aggression towards you thanks to his orders. But many of you have still been lead astray by his lies. We urge you here today to stand with us against Nerevor's fanaticisms, and to seek refuge in Central or the Southern Quarter if at all necessary. I will be going over new city-wide rules to keep the general population safe, but first, I have a word to all ho considers themselves personally loyal to Nerevor himself."

Olivier stepped out of frame and Corinth, a burned, bandaged, and bruised Corinth, stepped behind the podium. The most noticeable of his injuries was a large burn that covered almost the entirety of the right side of his face, the eye a milky white.

"My name is Corinth," he said softly, cringing away from the microphone as though it would bite him. "I am…I-I was one of Nerevor's personal attendants for years. When…when it was clear that he was losing his mind some of us protested. We just…we didn't want to see our home taken from us. Last night when we stepped forward in the streets…" He swallowed and paused. "When we came forward, Nerevor banished me and my friends, people I've called family for years and years. When I personally tried to plead with him…he…he…" His lip quivered and he looked down, unable to speak further. Olivier hurried onto the stage, pulling him away from the mic and talking off-record to him, rubbing his arm sympathetically and comforting him. When he had calmed down, he left the stage to some of her attendants, and Olivier once again took the stage.

"Now do you see, followers of Nerevor? This man is not your friend. But he is not our enemy. No…the enemy to Snowpoint, to every man, woman, child, and Pokemon is not a person. It is the oppressors of our freedoms, of our hopes and desires and of our ability to live peacefully alongside one another. I urge any who are having second thoughts not to hesitate to call the number on your screen now. I will personally ensure that you are taken care of, and that you and your loved ones will have a home right here in Central Tower until the threat has been professionally and dutifully neutralized." Olivier straightened up a little. "Now onto our most important bulletins; my security advisor will begin outlying how to keep yourselves safe during these trying times—"

Tabby scoffed and turned off the TV.

"They put on a hell of a performance," Floyd said as his machine began to coat his right arm in a layer of artificial skin. "What did the security advisor have to say?"

"What you'd expect," Tabby said, sitting down on Floyd's bed. "Mandatory curfews, compliance with some new Snowpoint Elite Guards—whatever the hell that means—no big groups meeting, that kind of stuff."

"Did it work?"

"Hell yeah, it did," Ren said. Floyd had noticed she was still wincing a little as she moved, but she seemed to have healed up rather nicely. "First of all, Corinth had a lot more buddies that we thought he had. After you passed out, they were taking a headcount and found out the about half of the people that were actually qualified to use magic to, y'know, fight, deserted. Almost three hundred of Sanctuary's best fighters, gone."

"Right after that, the families closest to Central started leaving too," Tabby said. "Whether it was by force or by their own choice, we don't know. But the lower half of the Northern Quarter is almost completely abandoned. Everyone with a brain here in Sanctuary knows that Nerevor isn't guilty and that Olivier is blatantly lying, so everyone's doing their part. Shops were closed down, work was stopped, supplies were gathered. Vanessa and Griffin set up a big block of apartment buildings and fit as many refugees as possible inside. Right now, we think we got all the civilians out of where the fighting is the strongest."

"There's fighting already?" Floyd asked.

Tabby nodded. "That broadcast was four days ago. Since then, Olivier's goons have been trying every back entrance there is to try and push their way into the Northern Quarter and get a foothold. The magi we have are definitely enough, and we haven't had to use lethal force yet…but both sides are definitely holding back." She ticked off on her fingers. "One, we haven't seen Corinth or any of his buddies that ran off with him since the attack that night. If Olivier has about three hundred magi all at her command that want Nerevor dead, she certainly has the manpower and the firepower to do it. Two, these Elite Guards."

"You haven't seen them?" Floyd asked.

"Not yet," Ren sighed, scratching at her ear with her back paw. "Gotta say though, my horn hasn't stopped flaring since I saw the broadcast, and every time we hear about it on the news, it gets worse. I don't like it one bit."

"If Olivier has these Elite Guards, why not have the Guard start making big pushes while the Elite Guards back them up?" Tabby asked. "It doesn't make any sense."

Floyd considered that for a moment. "Is there a number three?"

Ren and Tabby shared a look. "Two pieces of bad news aren't enough for you?" Tabby asked.

"Where Ren and I are from, I get suspicious if there aren't at least three."

That got Tabby to smile for a moment. "The night you passed out…something _big_ happened. I've literally never seen magic of that magnitude unless Nerevor was behind it." She described in detail how shadows had seemed to fall from the sky, how dead people had seemed to form again in the physical world.

Floyd scratched his chin. "Necromancy."

"But how?" Tabby asked. "I mean, city wide? What does Olivier have that could reach that far?"

"Nerevor doesn't have any ideas?"

Ren shook her head. "Nerevor is out of the picture right now."

Floyd blinked. "What?"

"The old man is putting all his power into working up a ward that can cover the Northern Quarter for the real first attack," Ren explained. "Nobody's seen him except to bring him water and food for…two days now? He can only do things that are…I dunno, autonomous I guess. Can't talk, but he can swallow and eat and stuff."

"So we have nothing," Floyd said. "Fantastic."

Tabby shifted in her seat. "Well… _we_ might not have an ideas. Buuuuut maybe Nerevor's private study does."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Ren said.

"Weeeeell, we're kinda sorta not supposed to go in there. Like at all. Unless the world is ending." She sighed. "Though a few days ago, it _felt_ like the world was ending soooooo…"

"Where is this study?" Floyd asked.

"It's on Nerevor's floor. I can probably magic the lock."

The machine finished placing the flesh on Floyd's arm. The sensors bonded with the flesh, and Floyd felt the skin of his palm against his fingers as he made a fist.

"I'm tired of being on the back foot. Let's get ahead of her for once."

###

Glad that Floyd was up on his feet again, Ren was free to worry about other things like how her side kind of still hurt as they climbed the stairs to Nerevor's private study. Still, the pain confirmed that she was still alive and not getting her soul yanked out of her mouth, so it was better than nothing.

The study was prefaced by a big-ol' black mahogany door that screamed "don't come in here" to anyone who even looked at it. Wasn't even locked…well, physically anyway. Just like underneath the Hub, by almost pressing her horn against the door, she could feel the magical energy radiating from the door like heat from a raging bonfire.

Ren let out a long breath. "You sure you can open this, cinnamon bun? I mean, this thing is starting to fry me and I'm barely close to it."

Tabby stepped forward and placed her fingers a few centimeters from the wood. "I won't lie; there's a good chance it might backlash and blow my ass away. But everyone else is busy, and Floyd's right; I'm tired of being on the back foot. If we know something they don't, we can get the leg up for once." She closed her eyes and placed her hand on the door, pale light pulsing down her arm and flowing into the door.

"How ya doing, Boss?" Ren asked as she did this.

"Better," Floyd said. "I actually have a spot of good news, if you'll believe it." He told her about the dream he had. The part about the shadows was bad; that meant that Olivier could access his unconscious state. But before hand…

"Who do you think it was?" Ren asked.

"It was pretty distorted, but it sounded like Annabeth to me," Floyd said. "If I'm right, then that means Violet can lock onto me somehow. She told me to stay put, and that they were coming to find us."

Ren felt her mouth purse into a thin line as she bit back a smarmy remark. "So I guess we have a decision to make, yeah? Either stay here after we're done…"

"Or move on and risk getting lost," Floyd finished. "Well…I suppose we can't think about it now. We've got more important things to worry about."

"Damn… _straight!"_ Tabby shouted. There was a loud chiming sound, and the door slid backwards, shuddered, and then swung open noiselessly. Lights clicked on immediately after leading the way down a hall and into the study beyond. "I'm just too good." She took a bow to absolutely no one, and to Ren's surprise, Floyd cracked a grin. "Shall we?"

Ren whistled as she walked into the study itself, the noise bouncing around the silence. "I could get lost in here."

"I know we've seen it hundreds of times before, but I'll never get over how magicians can do this," Floyd said.

The study was much bigger than what could have been possible given how the building looked on the outside. Bookcases stretched to the ceiling overhead, filled with books that readjusted themselves or floated off of shelves to find themselves on others later. Elgyem and Beheeyem floated around with books hovering and rotating near their heads, or sorting the various bookcases found in the large room. From time to time, Abra would teleport in and out of the room with a near-inaudible popping noise, depositing books into the study.

"Would be nice if we had a computer," Tabby muttered. "Excuse me, Beheeyem! Down here!"

Beheeyem floated down from a stack of books that perched on the edge of a bookcase. Its weird eyes blinked at random intervals, staring at Tabby.

"Hi," Tabby said. "I was wondering if Nerevor has anything relating to…shadows, I suppose. Or necromancy?"

Beheeyem thought about that for a moment, then floated away so far down the room it disappeared. After a minute or so, it returned with a large mound of books above its head, depositing them on one of the large wooden reading tables.

"Fantastic," Ren said deadpanned. "Where do we even start?"

"By picking up a book," Floyd said. "Those scientists gave you the ability to read; might as well put it to some use."

And read they did. They read for what seemed like hours, turning pages and compiling notes. The Beheeyem brought them notebook paper and pens and pencils as they needed more, and every book that had nothing of value was pushed off the table in favor of texts that offered more information.

The hours turned into half of the day, and then it was night out, the moonlight filtering in from windows unseen to them behind bookshelves. Tabby closed a book dramatically and slumped against the back of her chair, exhausted.

"This reminds me of trying to pass my MPAC exam," Tabby groaned.

"MPAC?" Ren asked.

"Magical Persons and Creatures," Tabby explained. "There was _so_ much work, so much studying to do before that I just…" She flared her hands from her temples. "Floyd, you're being characteristically silent. Find anything?"

"None," Floyd said. He leaned back in his chair, hand under his chin. "The necromancy you described sounds like a version of soul trapping. Basically, the soul of a slain target is taken by force and used as power for something that requires energy like that."

"Souls have power?" Tabby asked.

Ren snorted. "You don't make fire just from breathing hard, hun."

"Hey," Tabby warned.

"Point is, yeah, your soul has power. It's everything you are. You could be braindead while your soul is rattling around in your body. Our Earth figured out a long time ago that the soul can…be your backup guy I guess. When your back is against a wall and you get your second wind back, you're basically drawing on your soul power for one last push."

Floyd nodded. "It's a hard concept to comprehend, and even harder to fully understand. My teacher, Zinnia, she taught us the way of the Draconid people. They know all about souls and their power."

"Whoa, now hold up," Tabby said. "Draconids? As in, the Dragon People? Red eyes? Black hair and darker skin?"

Floyd and Ren blinked at each other and then leaned in. "There are Draconids on this Earth?"

Tabby nodded. "We learn about them when we're in grade school. Before I was born, apparently there was a meteor hurtling in from space that no one could do anything about across the sea in Hoenn. No one knows what happened for sure, but witnesses said that a mysterious red-eyed woman and some kid were responsible for giving Rayquaza the ability to Mega Evolve and saved the whole planet. Devon Corp went nuts afterwards because there was this big scandal about a rocket or something and it was a big mess. But they definitely exist."

Ren locked eyes with Floyd. It was almost scary sometimes how she knew exactly what he was thinking, even though she didn't need to say it.

If the Draconids existed on this Earth as well as the other one, there was a very real chance that this wasn't just another universe they'd landed in. There was a chance that they were in a parallel universe, similar to their own in some aspects, but with many differences.

And Zinnia back on Earth had mentioned something about connecting with a Rayquaza years before she and Floyd had ever met her.

"We'll worry about it later," Floyd said after a moment's silence. "We still have a few mounds of books to get through, so let's…"

_BOOM!_

"Ah shit," Ren said, getting up from her reading position. "That's not good."

"No, it isn't," Tabby said. "But what could…?"

The rest of her sentence was drowned out by the slow uptake of a droning alarm siren. Ren had grown used to hearing it over the week as they tested it for safety's sake, but she and her horn had a feeling this wasn't a drill.

Tabby glanced at Floyd. "I hope you're ready for a fight. Come on. They might be by the main entrance."

"No wait," Floyd said. "I have a better idea."

###

Floyd, Tabby, and Ren climbed to the top of Sanctuary via the roof entrance. Luckily Tabby had been right in saying that the inside of the Black Sun armor hadn't been damaged.

He might need it soon.

There was smoke rising from the south, as though there'd been an explosion of some sort. A few minutes later, some of Sanctuary's marked troops began lugging wounded back who were…

"Arceus," Tabby said. "Are they missing limbs?"

"But they're still alive," Floyd murmured. His attention was mostly focused on that smoke rising south. "Tabby, you said that the lower half of the Quarter is evacuated, right?" She nodded. "I think they managed to breach the defenses."

"That would make sense," Tabby said. "That looks like the guard that Vanessa set up. But those kinds of wounds…" She trailed off as two men hauled two others who were almost definitely clinging to life by a thread, bloodied and dismembered to the point of brutality. "What kind of monster could do that to someone?"

"They're not bleeding." Floyd and Tabby looked down at Ren. "Their limbs are gone, but they're not bleeding. Where's the blood?"

"Bandaged?" Tabby asked.

"No. Humans still bleed after wounds like that." Floyd shook his head. "Magic, maybe."

"We might see Corinth after all," Ren said, nodding to the south. "That or one of his friends." A Dragonite had definitely taken to the skies, a speck in the distance, but he was up there.

"Scouting for survivors," Floyd said. He recalled Ren back to her Pokeball and held out his hand to Tabby.

"A little windy for gliding, right?"

"Yeah," Floyd said. "But we're not gliding."

One arm around her waist, power surged through Floyd's body as they leapt off the roof. To his surprise, Tabby didn't even scream or act remotely surprised. She just tucked her head into his chest to protect against the strong winds as he began to fly. They rocketed over the tops of the buildings in an instant, and as soon as they had started flying, they stopped. He wasn't quite as fast as he remembered. Hopefully he could chalk it up to not flying in a while.

Still, Tabby seemed to have trouble catching her breath. "You can…you can do that? How can you do that?"

"Not easily," Floyd said. "My body has to be in good condition, and it takes a lot of energy in general to even keep going for hours on end. Zoe helped me develop a mechanical flight system in my limbs to give me a boost in speed or just to fly without using power. Both of them are pretty loud, but flying without using my power is better because…"

"Up there!" someone said. "Shoot them down!"

Floyd sighed. "Anytime I use my power, there's a really noticeable white aura I can't hide." He pulled Tabby down off the ledge they'd landed on and into the snow of the rooftop. Minutes later, bullets began peppering the brick of the building, though none slipped through and hit them.

"Don't suppose you could do something about that?" Tabby asked, covering her head from the spray of brick that came with the near-misses.

The mask unfolded around Floyd's face, and he smiled under the mask. "Back in a minute."

He grabbed the ledge and leapt over, the bullets bouncing off of the armor of the Black Sun. Time slowed down as he fell to the ground. A small force of twenty men, all armed, no magicians.

He didn't even need to kill them.

He landed in the snow hard enough to whip up a snow cloud that sent chips of ice and hard-packed snow into the eyes of his enemies. The ones closest yelped and couldn't help firing their weapons as they were blinded, and Floyd moved to capitalize.

_Speed._

To his own perception, time was moving incredibly slow, so slow that he could see the path the bullets being fired at him were taking. To the men though, Floyd was moving so fast the only they'd be able to see were a clump of black lines before he activated his power. He zipped forwards and buried his fist in the gut of the first man, then blurred to a cluster of five more. Rapid strikes and jabs followed, striking pressure points and weak spots, and the men were done for. Just before his power timed out, Floyd reached a group of four and went to work, breaking legs, snapping arms, and disabling weapons.

The sun on his chest flashed white and he resumed his normal speed, but he was already running. Behind him, the sounds of fighting that took less than a second real-time echoed out as he reached the last part of the group, who were spreading out in fear. A few of them screamed and threw their weapons down, begging for mercy, while another few tried to release Pokeballs. The first one who tried had his hand crushed by a mechanically-augmented kick, shattering the finger bones and forcing him to drop the Pokeball. He roared in agony, but was silenced as Floyd's boot found his chest and sent him bouncing back into the snow about fifty feet away. Unfortunately, he wasn't quick enough, because the nine others released Pokemon of their own.

_Flash._

The enemies behind him were momentarilly stunned and blinded, allowing Floyd to leap back and release his own trump card. "Okay, girl, you know the drill. Make it quick."

Ren exploded from her Pokeball, primed and ready for action. "About damn time." She grinned back at him. "I've been wanting to kick some ass for a while now." She turned back to the enemies who were overcoming their confusion. Among the humans were a lot of Pokemon, and it was likely every man had six each. Judging from the non-diverse color palette, they looked to be mostly…

"Steel types," Ren said. "This isn't looking too good, Boss." She nodded to a few giant things with a single bulging eye. "Those are Magnezone. Pretty damn strong."

"And the rest?"

She shrugged. "Manageable." Her ears twitched underneath her fur. "Seems we've got other problems behind us though."

Floyd glanced behind. More smoke curcled up from the rooftops over there, followed by another explosion that was getting closer.

"Definitely magi," Floyd said. "We can deal with them once we've dealt with these guys. Let's fight!"

"Then fire it up! Now!"

With a war-cry, Floyd and Ren began charging as much power as they could, Ren Mega Evolving with a brilliant multi-colored flash of light. The very air was charged with ozone as they did so, and the morale of the men wavered just as far as it could without breaking entirely. Still, they hid behind their Pokemon and did their best to reload weapons.

Best not to let them get a leg up.

Floyd darted forward, slapping the sun on his chest. It released a flash that wasn't as strong as the one he could produce naturally, but was still enough to stun those close enough. The Pokemon in front shielded their eyes, then found themselves slammed to the ground, as they were blocking the path to their masters. One of the Magnezone was unaffected and surged forwards, tendrils of electricity buzzing between the giant magnets it used for hands. It let loose just as Floyd reached it, forcing him to cross his arms and grit his teeth as the electricity forced him back.

" _Warning: risk of electrocution imminent,"_ his suit warned.

Just as he was about to try and redirect the electricity, a hail of fireballs rained from the sky and crashed into the opposing forces. One struck the Magnezone and dented its hard body, nearly melting it and forcing its attack to subside. Vaulting over it, Floyd landed behind it and kicked it into its fellows, who began to whine and cry angrily as the magnets attached themselves to their steel bodies. As the Magnezone struggled to get free, Ren made her move. Taking a deep breath, her Mega-strengthened legs allowed her to leap into the air and let loose a howling gale of a Fire Blast that washed over the Steel-types with intensity that most definitely would have cremated if she hadn't been holding back. As the flames licked over the burning Pokemon, Ren landed on all fours with a shout, a Dark Pulse cascading over the ones who could even remain standing. In a storm of negative energy and dust, the Steel-types went flying, their heavy bodies slamming into some of their own masters.

The five humans remaining panicked and turned to run, but not before the ice and snow beneath their feet leapt up to attack them. Giant hands made of black ice, fists made of the hardest of the snow, all of it leapt up to finish the job, only one of them able to dodge the onslaught.

That was all Floyd needed.

He vaulted over the moving snow and clamped his hand over the neck of the last man standing, lifting him a few feet off the ground.

"Arceus, you beat them all! Yield! I yield, please don't kill me!" he screamed.

"This can be as easy or as painful as you'd like," Floyd warned. "Tell me about Olivier. What is your advance team doing here? How'd you breach through the patrols?"

"I don't know anything! I swear! I'm just…I was forced to sign up with the military! All of Snowpoint's c-citizens are forced to when they register…sign up for possible active service!"

"So you'd willingly play nice with a madwoman who wants to level the entire city?"

He shook his head fervently, trying to loosen Floyd's grip on his neck. "She…she promised that Nerevor…"

"Nerevor had nothing to do with the bomb. You and your men have been duped.

His eyes bugged out in fear. "E-even if I knew…don't know about a bomb. Just an…advance team with magicians…and…Elite Guard."

"Then it sounds like we're done here."

Floyd's elbow blurred to the man's temple and the man went limp in his hand. He'd have a nasty headache rivaling agony when he woke up, but he'd live. Floyd tossed him to the ground as Tabby landed on the ground, the ice reaching up to cushion her fall.

"What did our friend here say?" Tabby asked.

Floyd's mask folded back as he nudged the unconscious man with his foot. "Nothing we didn't know already. Thanks for the assist by the way."

"Can't let you have all the fun," Tabby teased. Then she sobered up as she looked south. "Magi, huh?"

"Sounds like it," Floyd said. "Along with an Elite Guard." She frowned at that, glancing down the street. "Your choice, do we engage?"

"They were strong enough to make it past the patrols, and they weren't pushovers," Tabby said. "The study will still be there when we get back, but right now we need to…"

The side of a building not a block down from them exploded, a plume of smoke billowing from the hole in the side of the building as rising into the sky. The silhouette of a man leapt down amidst the smoke, and began walking towards them. Floyd's mask clicked back into place, Ren leapt to Floyd's side, and Tabby took up a defensive magic pose, ready to cast or block anything sent their way.

"You are the humans known as Floyd and Tabby, correct?" a voice droned as it neared closer. "And the Absol is here as well. Arceus has truly blessed this day."

Ren snorted. "Look buddy, the dramatic entrance is nice, but you _really_ want to trust me when I say you don't know who you're messing with. We just kicked your buddies' asses all the way back to first Ice Age, and you can get it too if you come any closer!"

The man walked out of the dust cloud.

Just when Floyd thought it was impossible to be surprised, he found God or Light or Arceus or whoever continually testing his patience. His eyes roved over the perfect white plate armor, the icy mist swirling around the man's fingers, the faint white aura that shimmered over the entirety of the man's body.

And the sun, the same sun that Floyd wore on _his_ chest, that shone with the same radiant white light that his did.


	20. Chapter 18: White Knight

**Chapter 18: White Knight**

For a moment, no one did anything. Ren's fur, even the "wings" on her back, started standing on end. Floyd merely stared down the line, unmoving as he watched the new challenger.

And Tabby didn't understand.

When she'd first met Floyd, the term "knight in shining armor" had been thrown around. Yet, his armor was more modern, armor that looked as though it were actually made this century with all the technological advancements this age brought with it. But the Elite Guard…that thing looked as though it really _was_ a knight from the fairy tales Tabby had been read as a kid. A brave, daring, unflinching man who could walk into the den of even the most fiercest of Salamence and slay it with his sword. The sunlight glinted off of every shiny white plate, the light dazzling as it bounced off of too many of them at once sometimes. Then there was that symbol, the sun that had made her and her friends feel so safe nowadays…plastered on the Elite Guard's chest. Maybe Olivier had done it as a sick joke to play on the spearheads of the opposing side. Because whether he was from this universe or not, Floyd _was_ a figurehead of their little resistance. All that aside, Tabby also sensed the power just beneath the armor plates, sensed magic just waiting to boil up at the Elite's call.

But worst of all…it felt as though there was another Floyd over there.

She didn't know how to describe it exactly. The power that Floyd gave off whenever he was actively using his own, the aura that washed over her and made her teeth buzz in her mouth, that set all of the hairs on her body on end, the power that could break the world…she could sense it in two places, not just one. But that was impossible! Floyd had said that his powers were genetic, that he'd been _born_ with those Light powers.

So how did the man in the armor manage to give off the same feeling?

The man continued to stalk towards them, his aura threatening to overwhelm Tabby's senses.

"Tabby, Ren," Floyd's voice said through his mask, the modulator making it sound near in-human and threatening. "Get behind me."

The two of them did as he asked as he turned 90 degrees, drawing one arm above and one arm below him. Like last time, his hands met in the middle, and then were drawn back to his side.

"He's done that before," Tabby murmured as she and Ren watched. "Four days ago, against Corinth."

Ren grunted. "He calls it the Solar Flare. But _I_ think it's more of a Kamehameha from the way he prepares it."

"A what?"

"Long story. Point is, if he's using it, that guy is toast. At the very least, he's going to missing more than a few chunks of his body when Boss…when he…"

The Absol trailed off into stunned silence, and Tabby looked back up at the impending battle to see what had stunned her.

Across the way, the Elite Guard had stopped moving, instead beginning to mirror Floyd's movements.

At the exact same moment a glittering ball of light roared to life between the palms of Floyd's hands, the Elite Guard began forming one as well. Floyd had said that using his Light powers forced that white flame of an aura to come to life around him, and this was no exception. But the aura flared to life around both him and the Elite Guard, bringing with it a hurricane of strong, icy winds that whipped the loose snow into a frenzy around them. No one said a word as the winds and noise began to grow louder and stronger, even as the balls of energy reached their maximums and rays of light began to spill from cupped hands.

"Ren, help me put up a ward! Now!" Tabby shouted over the roar of the winds. The Absol grit her teeth, her horn glowing white as Tabby's hands did the same. A ward with as much power as Tabby could spare flickered to life in front of them, and just in time too.

In stark contrast to the rest of the standoff, Floyd lurched forward, shoving his hands forward with that ancient, guttural roar like last time, the Solar Flare screaming down the street towards the Elite Guard. The Elite Guard did the same, his own Solar Flare lashing out to connect with Floyd's. The world vanished into blinding light as the energy connected, enveloping both Tabby and Ren in its midst as the world threatened to break apart.

###

Vanessa grit her teeth and tried to shut out one of her student's agonized screams as she and another one of the surviving patrol members lifted him up the stairs to Sanctuary and into the foyer. His wounds were cauterized, so he wasn't going to be bleeding out anytime soon, but whatever had done this to him had lopped off an arm and carved deep slashes into his chest that had just missed his vital organs, instead charring the skin below his clothes. She'd never seen magic of this sort before, but it had to be Fire magic, without a doubt. But what could make wounds so precise?

Her student's screaming joined the chorus of groaning and wailing just as she made it inside, as the Pokemon Center was in complete chaos. Both the lobby of Sanctuary and the Pokemon Center had been transformed into an immediate care center, with the most serious of wounds being dealt with in the actual infirmary behind the double doors inside the Pokemon Center. The ones who had survived and would survive were permitted to head to the human infirmary upstairs for rest and recovery.

Those were still few and far between.

"Joy," Vanessa called out as she set her student down on a cot. "What can I do to help?"

"You can help by staying out of the way," Nurse Joy said, her bubbly air gone. "Unless you specialize in Normal or Fairy magic, I need you out of this space." She wiped some blood on her hands on her apron then dove back in with some of her assistants. The magi who weren't quite qualified to fight or had no disposition to had willingly signed up as healers, to say nothing of the Nurse Joys from around the Northern Quarter that had taken refuge in Sanctuary once the actual skirmishes started. They all looked alike and acted almost as one group too, going about their duties so well that some who would have died before night fell would live. Even with the sudden rush of wounded, they were holding ground very well, something Vanessa felt a spark of pride towards.

"Nessa."

Strong hands closed around her shoulders and Vanessa glanced behind her. Griffin's stern face gazed onto hers, weariness behind even his eyes. It had been a long week.

"You alright?" he asked.

Vanessa nodded and stepped outside, the screams fading as they stepped out. "Tired."

"I bet," Griffin said. "Sanctuary's on high alert. The Decidueye are standing guard up top, and we've got patrols locally stationed on the rooftops. Maybe you should go inside and lie down."

She wanted to argue, but there was truth in his statement. She was bone-tired, borderline exhausted. Between giving commands in Nerevor's stead, assigning duties to the fighters, and now carrying her own half-dead students…yes she was tired. Maybe a nap would do her some good.

"Yeah," Vanessa said at last. "Maybe you're right. You wake the minute something happens, understand?"

"The second," Griffin said with a faint smile.

She nodded, clapping her friend on the shoulder and turning to head back inside when an explosion ripped upwards from the abandoned section of the Northern Quarter. Moments later, a blinding flash of white light expanded outwards from the scene of the explosion, making it hard to even look at the horizon, like staring into the rising sun.

"An explosion and a bunch of white light," Griffin said, releasing his Stoutland. "Who do we know that does _that_ often?"

Vanessa nodded. "Floyd."

"I'd bet Tabby's with him too," Griffin said, hoisting himself on Stoutland's back. "You coming?"

"What about that nap?" she asked, and she was pleased to see that Griffin cracked another smile.

"You wouldn't have slept long anyways," Griffin said. "Hop on."

Hugging Griffin's waist, the heels of Griffin's boots tapped Russ on his side and the Stoutland took off down the street, his massive body plowing through the snow towards the explosion.

###

Floyd struggled against the Elite Guard's Solar Flare, his boots digging into the ground and carving tracks as the raw force of the power struggle pushed him further and further into the ground. He used the carvings as leverage, bracing his feet against the edges that had formed and heaved. The Elite Guard was surprisingly strong, strong enough to possibly give Corinth a run for his money. But sheer power alone didn't win these kind of fights…no, there was strategy involved too.

Of course, that wouldn't matter if the Elite Guard overwhelmed him and disintegrated him with his blast.

Great chunks of asphalt ripped away from the road and flew into their struggle, torn into atoms as they did so. It felt like a black hole was twenty feet in front of him, endlessly sucking down all the power that Floyd kept shoveling into repelling the Elite Guard's attack. But for all of his power, it was unlikely that the Elite Guard knew the first thing about this kind of struggle. In every single power struggle, Floyd had yet to come across one where the opponent either started off too strong, or started off too weak. The Elite Guard was the former, and just like in a race, the one who sprinted from the start was bound to die out before the one who kept himself controlled. There would be a moment, a single moment where the Elite's power would flicker and leave a hole wide open in his defenses…

Floyd felt the other end of the colossal energy blasts flicker, like a ripple through a string.

There it is!

With a roar, Floyd pushed forward, giving everything he had to a final push. Just as he'd anticipated, the Elite had overextended himself, and suddenly found himself on both back feet, leaning backwards and trying his best to reassert control. But it was far too late for any of that. Step by step, Floyd began to walk, then run, and then kicked off the ground. His mechanical flight system flew into action, the soles of his boots opening to jettison his body forward without having to divert power away from his own Solar Flare. He cut through the Elite's weakened Solar Flare like a hot knife through butter, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of him, forcing his hand forwards through the torrent of energy spilling from the Elite's hand. Floyd's right palm pressed against the chestplate of the Elite's armor and let the energy surge from his body, the sun on his chest shining like the real thing millions of miles away. The Elite was silent throughout the whole ordeal, even as the Solar Flare sent him rocketing backwards with titanic force, the blast carrying him far down the street and into a building that hugged the corner of the street.

The resultant explosion was impressive to say the least. A mushroom cloud blossomed high above the tops of the snow-capped buildings, and a ring of concussive force rolled over him and likely Tabby and Ren. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, tucking his head down just in time as a chunk of debris several times taller than he was slammed into his prosthetic limbs. Floyd was sent flying backwards, landing hard on his butt as it rained more chunks of stone and other debris. He flipped backwards as another chunk slammed into where he was sitting seconds ago and pulverized the ground beneath.

"Floyd!"

Floyd glanced backwards at Tabby and Ren, who emerged unharmed and ran to him. "Are you hurt?" Tabby asked.

"No," he said. "Just winded. I can't say the same for him though." He jabbed a thumb to the dissipating cloud of dust. "At the very least, he's toast. I definitely cremated him."

"I guess we should address the Phanpy in the room," Tabby said. "Why did you two have the same symbol on your chests? Hell, even your armor kind of looked alike. Some kind of charade from Olivier or something?"

"I don't know," Floyd said, his mask unfolding so that he could wipe some sweat from his brow. "Whatever the case, we—"

Tabby made a frantic sound of warning as she suddenly shoved past Floyd and raised her hands. A snarling cone of orange fire roared to life just as an icicle the size of a minivan hurtled towards them. It shattered into glittering fragments at the slightest touch of Tabby's flames, but without her, Floyd definitely would have been skewered.

Ren growled. "The backup."

"No," Tabby said, seemingly terrified. "It's…" Floyd's eyes widened as he saw what she was looking at.

The Elite Guard walked forward from the dust cloud that had not yet dissipated close to the ground, his outstretched hand closing and lowering to his side. Besides some charring marks on his armor, it looked completely intact. But barring that, there was absolutely no way the person inside could still be alive. That blast had been point blank, and at the very least, the wearer's insides would be mush due to the forces acting on him.

Suddenly, Floyd had a very good idea of what other things Olivier would have used all of those souls for.

Tabby leapt back to Floyd's side, fire curling up and down her arms. "I'm guessing we're all on the same page?"

Floyd nodded. "There's no way whatever is inside that armor is still alive."

"Undead," Ren muttered. "But how? It takes a lot of skill just to reanimate a body so that it can shamble around. How did Olivier manage to bind a soul so well that moves like that…that _thing_ does? And don't even get me started on your Kame…your Solar Flare, Boss."

Floyd scowled. Ren was absolutely right. No undead he'd ever seen could move like the Elite Guard had. What was really going on here?

"He's reaching for something," Tabby said, drawing his attention from his thoughts.

They watched as the Elite Guard reached towards his waist. A compartment jutted out, and a cylinder of metal slapped into his gauntlet-clad hands.

Ren hissed. "Does this shithole of a universe get any better?"

Tabby's eyes flicked towards Ren. "Harsh, but for what reason?"

"Boss, we know what that thing is in his hand," Ren warned, ignoring her. "A knight waving some hollow looking thing around that isn't a wand. What do we know from our world that has something like that?"

Floyd's eyes narrowed, his brain running a million miles a minute until…

"Oh," he said. "That's very bad."

The Elite Guard began walking forward as a red blade of energy jutted from the hollow hilt of silver metal. He wasn't close enough to the Elite, but he knew if he were, he'd hear the hum of energy, the crackle and sparking of intense heat if the blade so much as scraped against the ground.

"Tabby, listen to me," Floyd said. "Whatever happens, do not let that thing touch you. It might not matter what wards you put up, if he gets close enough to slash at you, it'll cut through you like paper."

"What is that?" Tabby asked, shuffling backwards.

"A lightsaber," Ren said. "They're weapons that aren't even supposed to fucking exist. They're from fictional works back in our universe, the kind of movies you watch with the family on a Saturday morning."

"And now they're real," Floyd said. "I suppose we know now what made those wounds earlier, and why they were immediately cauterized."

He saw Tabby swallow. "If he can cut right through us…why hasn't he charged yet?"

"He's deciding which one of us to target first," Floyd said. "We need to focus on getting through that armor. If you can, aim for the head. Undead that we've fought in our universe die if the head is detached from the body. Use heat; that metal has to be susceptible somehow."

Tabby nodded and set herself to Floyd's left, while Ren crouched down to his right.

The Elite Guard stopped moving for a few seconds and lifted the lightsaber above his head with both hands, the crimson blade turning his armor and the snow around them the color of blood.

"Here it comes," Floyd warned. "Get ready."

"Right!" Ren and Tabby said.

The Elite Guard moved into an attacking stance, the lightsaber poised to stab…and charged.

One moment he was far down the street, and in the space of a few heartbeats, he was right in front of the entire group. Floyd shouted and thrust his palms back, forcibly blowing Tabby and Ren out of harms way as the Elite began to jab at him. The attacks were the quick, skilled motions of a veteran fighter, which again, didn't make sense. If the Elite was undead, he shouldn't have been able to move so fluidly.

Then Floyd realized he had other problems, like how the Elite Guard was one of the best swordsmen he had ever faced.

His years upon years of training and experience were the only things that kept him alive. The Elite attacked with a series of rapid jabs aimed at Floyd's head, moving so fast that he almost couldn't keep track of them all. Each one was perfectly spaced so that Floyd couldn't counterattack without being skewered in return. It was all he could do to weave his head out of the way, unable to block with his forearms like he usually did lest the Elite take his hand from him. Another flurry of strikes blurred overhead and the Elite's momentum finally played out, his footing shifting ever so slightly to regain balance. The saber lashed out in a whipping slash, Floyd stepping inside his guard and knocking away the gauntlet instead of the weapon itself. The edge of the lightsaber clipped his armor, not slowing for a moment as it seared through the tough material, but it didn't actually hit his flesh. Off-balance, Floyd planted a solid kick to the Elite's midsection, a kick hard enough to make any normal person's insides turn to jelly at the very least. The Elite was sent skidding backwards almost fifty feet, his boots digging into the asphalt to stop himself.

Tabby leapt forward and pressed her gloved hands to the ground, light with an earthy tone flaring in a circle around her. The ground awoke and leapt to her call, pillars of earth ripping themselves free and bending towards her body. The Elite Guard rushed forward, but not before Tabby rose and made a motion like she was flicking water from her hands. Pellets of rock barely bigger than Floyd's thumb shattered from the giant pillars and screamed towards the Elite, who stopped in his tracks and flicked his lightsaber here and there, the crimson blade effortlessly shearing through the pellets. Some slipped past his guard and marked his armor with a metallic squeal, but if he felt pain, the Elite made no noise to say so.

"Keep him busy, Tabby!" Floyd shouted.

Tabby said nothing, but instead pressed her palms to the ground again, icy blue light washing out this time. Snow turned into solid ice and slammed over and over into the Elite's position in the form of cold fists or just solid pillars. She was just a second too slow, but even that armor wouldn't protect him from being crushed, and the Elite had to retreat for the time being.

"That kick should have killed his grandchildren, it was so hard!" Ren shouted over the sounds of tremendous weight striking the ground over and over. "How do we beat this guy?"

Physical force wouldn't work, at least, nothing blunt. It was clear that it didn't matter how hard Floyd could hit unless he could break that armor manually, and there was no way that was happening, even with his enhanced strength. Even as he was about to suggest fire, Tabby stood and hooked her fingers into claws, a wall of flames erupting from the ground and swirling into a tightly packed ball. With a shout, Tabby lobbed the ball upwards in an arc, then slammed her hands on the ground again. More earth rose, a wall this time behind the Elite Guard, who was left with nowhere to go as the fireball slammed into him from above like a dropped bomb. The heat from the explosion beat against his armor like a physical thing, setting off the environmental equalizer and causing it to cool inside the suit. As the black smoke faded, that damned red light unsheathed again, the Elite walking forwards.

"Guys!" Tabby shouted, breathing hard. "Could use some help here!"

But how? If the fire didn't do anything, how could you possibly defeat one of these Elites besides ripping their souls out? Olivier wouldn't make a legion of immortal undead soldiers with no apparent weakness.

So what, then?

Floyd's eyes flicked from the masked helm of the Elite to the weapon he carried.

Ren arched an eyebrow as Floyd turned to look down at her. "I think I got it," he said confidently. "But you're gonna have to get close."

###

Vanessa bowed her head against the wind as Russ rushed down the street, the massive shaggy Pokemon hardly even panting as he carried two fully-grown humans on his back. In the distance, the sounds of a furious (and likely powerful) battle echoed down the streets.

"Yo!" She picked her head up to see Zero and his Cryogonal soaring towards them. "I saw the explosion from the western sector, then I heard something about a perimeter breach? What's going on?"

"Something or someone tore their way through the abandoned part of the Quarter," Griffin said.

Zero sniffed and looked towards the site of the battle. "Definitely Corinth's friends." He nodded towards a silhouette in the sky that seemed to be getting closer.

"More Dragonite," Vanessa muttered. "Alright, look, we think Floyd and Tabby are down there fighting…something. If that Dragonite and whatever else is behind it closes in on us, we're toast. Can you hold them off so we can get them out safely?"

"Sure can," Zero said. "When does the shield go up?"

Vanessa frowned back towards Sanctuary, where a ring of purple light and fire surrounded the top of the building now.

"Not soon enough," she said. "Let's go."

"Sure, but you might want something faster than Russ," Zero said, fishing out a Pokeball. "Er, no offense big guy."

"Stout!"

"None taken," Griffin said. "You got something faster?"

"Why, of course!" The Pokeball in his hand expanded to full size.

###

As if mocking Floyd, the Elite Guard rushed towards him, his lightsaber spinning in a trail of circles around his body, making the very air bleed ozone and crimson light. The blade carved smoking gashes into the ground as he approached in a taunt, or maybe in an attempt to intimidate. Floyd wasn't scared of death; he was scared of the pain that could come with it. His ideal situation was finally passing away in his sleep, his body and mind finally at peace after years and years of fighting.

But if he wasn't careful, death would take much longer and hurt much more than the alternative.

The taunt ended and the Elite closed in for the kill, his lightsaber flickering back in forth in a series of blows that Floyd could scarcely stay ahead of. It was all he could do to dodge each one, but with his theory about the lightsaber, there was a slight chance that he wouldn't have to just dodge soon. For the time being though, he had to keep moving. To stop would mean the Elite would have him, and it would be certain death. The crimson blade lashed over Floyd's head as he ducked and stepped inside the guard, his fist shooting forward to pound into the Elite's chest. His ribs should have exploded out of his skin, maybe even through the armor, but the Elite kept coming. His hand came up and shot one of the terrible shards of ice that was almost as large as he was, the structure blurring towards him silent and deadly. Floyd ducked under the giant spike and rushed forward, the Elite gliding eagerly to meet him. Even though he couldn't fight on even ground with the Elite, Floyd had trained with his friend Ryu for years in the art of swordplay.

And he knew how to fight unarmed.

The Elite pressed him with a series of quick slashes and jabs all to keep Floyd backpedaling, but for all of his skill, he fell into a pattern that Floyd quickly deciphered. The next high arc of an attack was blocked, Floyd's fist jabbing into the Elite's wrist. He'd been hoping to knock the blade from his grip, but the Elite's grip was too strong. He weaved to the side of the next counter-thrust and brought his boot hammering down on the side of the Elite's knee. Undead or not, it was still a joint, and the guard stumbled with a clatter of his fine armor. A roundhouse kick clanged into the side of the Elite's helmet and snapped his head back, sending him sprawling across the snow, the lightsaber still clutched in his hand.

"Tabby!" Floyd shouted. "Now!"

The icy blue light from earlier rippled beneath Floyd's boots and surged to the prone form of the Elite Guard. Around him, ten massive fists of ice jutted from the earth and curled inwards to slam over and over into the Elite, Tabby hoping to crush him beneath the ice's bulk.

Floyd leapt back and landed near Tabby, who was panting and sweating beneath her clothes as the strain of so many magic spells began to get to her. "You alright?" he asked.

"Tired," Tabby panted. "But it doesn't matter." She wiped her mouth and released Blitz from his Pokeball, who, unlike his trainer, was rested and ready to go. "Hit him with everything we've got! Now!"

Floyd cupped his hands together, another Solar Flare spinning to life as Blitz reared back, his cheeks puffing as flames gathered in his mouth. The earth shuddered and serrated chips of ice flew out fast enough to shred flesh as the Elite blew Tabby's ice fists away and stormed towards them, lightsaber trailing death behind his armored form.

"Break!" Floyd shouted, diving away. Blitz scooped his trainer up in one fluid motion and moved her out of the way as the Elite crashed into where they'd been standing to resume his offensive. Perhaps it was the simple fact that he and his friends had survived so long against his assault, but the Elite chased him with vicious determination now, his lightsaber licking back and forth through the air and beginning to taste Floyd's armor. He grunted and winced at a dozen minor cuts that did touch his flesh, the skin burned and smoldering beneath the armor. The Elite slashed in an X, and the strike that would have quadrisected him from the neck down met open air as Floyd barely managed to dodge it.

Orange light blared to life behind the Elite and Floyd stepped past another slash and somersaulted backwards to avoid a low sweep of his blade. Moments later, sweeping gouts of flame washed over the Elite Guard, enveloping him fully as the flames snarled and lashed down the street. Tabby and Blitz worked as a synchronized team, intense flames ripping from powerful punches and kicks into the air. A flash of white shot up from the roaring flames and landed on a nearby building, blue sparks traveling up and down the length of his free hand. Two fingers extended and a blast of lightning that looked strong enough to power the entire Quarter ripped from his fingers and exploded upon impact with the ground at Tabby's feet. Both her and the Infernape went flying back, landing hard in the snow. Floyd lurched forward, intending to challenge the Elite long enough for the two of them to fall back, but the Elite unleashed another thunderbolt just as fast, and Floyd was temporarily stunned as he went flying backwards and slammed into a wall, the electricity arcing and buzzing down the exposed, burned flesh through the holes in his armor.

The Elite Guard leapt off the building and landed with a ripple of air on the street, and Floyd saw what was going to happen. Alone, the Elite could probably take him on and win, but Tabby's magic and Blitz' fire was a nuissance. He'd kill them, combatants who weren't as fast as he was, then focus on Floyd.

Floyd called Light Speed to his body and shot forward in a black blur, soaring through the air as the Elite Guard sprinted forward faster than Floyd thought possible while he was using his abilities. The Elite would be able to react and behead him if he slammed into his side, and he simply wouldn't get there in time to move Tabby and Blitz out of the way.

But there was just enough time to speed in front of them.

The Light Speed died as the Guard shot forward, his lightsaber arcing downwards in a show of crimson death. Floyd tensed, raising his arm to shield himself. If he was wrong, he would die in short order. But for all its flair, the lightsaber was still a sword, and swords had to be tested against the things they were attempting to cut.

And you can't test what you don't have.

The blade sheared through the Black Sun armor…but rebounded from Floyd's arm, the limb made from _his_ Earth's steel.

"Now, Ren!" he shouted, flinging the Pokeball behind the Elite Guard. Ren exploded out in a flash of white light, already moving before she had fully formed, and slammed into the Elite, her horn flashing with negative energy.

And just as he'd hoped, Knock Off applied to humans as well as Pokemon.

The lightsaber turned off and flipped up into the air, caught by Floyd's other free hand. The Elite made the first sound of rage that Floyd had heard yet, but it was too late. A hasty right-handed haymaker missed him by a mile, and the Elite didn't even see the sweep of the crimson blade as Floyd sheared through the helmet at the neck with little resistance. The head of the Elite Guard dropped from its shoulders as the rest of him fell to the ground with a final clang of armor plates.

The fight was over.

There was little in the way of noise besides the settling of the volatile battlefield and heavy breathing from all. Floyd unfolded his mask and gulped down the cold air, sheathing the lightsaber with the press of a button and bending over Tabby. "Come on. Come on, we gotta go. The guys earlier said that thing wasn't alone so I'm betting…"

"There!"

Ren swore and jumped back, turning to face the voices that came down the street. The commotion of the fight must have attracted them. Twenty magi, all of them definitely Corinth's friends.

"I hate this damn city," Tabby said, staggering to her feet.

"Join the club," Ren groaned, her horn beginning to flare with purple light.

Floyd set himself and prepared for yet another fight, though he wasn't sure he could win this one.

Suddenly, a wall of earth jutted from the ground, cutting off the reinforcements from Floyd and his friends. It stretched up to the tops of the abandoned buildings in a massive blockade, dirt spilling off of it in fountains. At the same time, Griffin, Vanessa, and Zero all landed in front of them, dismounting a strange white ball of a Pokemon with horns and Zero's Cryogonal.

"Are you hurt?" Vanessa asked, rushing over to them.

"Yes, but that's not what we need to worry about," Floyd said. He recalled Ren to her Pokeball as Tabby did the same with Blitz. "Tabby, you ride with Zero. I can fly, and I'll need both of my hands to carry this thing."

"You're taking it with us?" Tabby asked, disgusted.

"We need to figure out what this armor is and why it has my symbol on it. Don't argue, go!"

Tabby nodded and hopped aboard Snowflake as Floyd heaved the corpse over his back in a fireman's carry. Vanessa hopped back on the Pokemon with Griffin and they all took flight into the air, Floyd trying his best to stay behind. Voices of outrage echoed up from behind the wall, and pinpricks of magic registered to Floyd's senses. Bolts of lightning, spikes of ice, and even gobbets of strange, sizzling poison whizzed by them high in the sky, but none of them posed any real threat.

The real threat was the thing that was blurring towards them at supersonic speeds, a Dragonite ready to kill. That regal purple aura had enveloped it, and Floyd prepared to watch a meteor shower up close.

"I don't think so!" Zero shouted. "Snowflake, give it to him!"

Tabby held on for dear life as Snowflake did a 180 and blew out, a furious cold wind snapping and snarling, freezing the moisture in the air as it traveled. The wind turned into a gale, and then a full-on Blizzard, though not as strong as if the Pokemon would have been able to focus it. Still, the Dragonite took the brunt of the attack, the expression on its face almost comical as its wings and body froze over and it plummeted towards the ground hundreds of feet below. Zero cheered and Snowflake let out a happy exclamation of its own name as the group soared into the afternoon sky and back towards Sanctuary. Likely Olivier hadn't expected him and Tabby to stand their ground against the Elite Guard, much less to defeat him. Now they had his armor and a weapon that Floyd was willing to bet no one else anyone had ever seen before.

He smirked despite the pain of some of his injuries.

It was time Olivier was caught off guard.


	21. Chapter 19: Origins

**Chapter 19: Origins  
**

Tabby's nose wrinkled as she cremated the corpse of the poor soul who had been forced into that armor. His skin had shriveled and turned black as though his entire body had been afflicted with frostbite, his face forever contorted in a scream of agony. How he had talked with his face like that was beyond Tabby, but at the moment she didn't care. She hoped at least that his soul was free to drift into the afterlife, instead of being trapped in some metal shell serving Olivier of all people.

What bothered her was how easily he'd used magic, not to mention the efficiency. Olivier would have to have immense power to bind the ability to use such potent magic to the armor. Maybe it was one of Corinth's buddies that had been trapped inside.

Tabby shook her head and stepped back into the garage. It was likely Floyd would have more answers. She felt a wave of affection as she did so and the rest of her friends turned to look at her. Vanessa, Griffin, and Zero had risked more than they knew coming out there to have their backs. It was their duty, sure, but it would have been just as easy not to risk it due to the unknown factor of the Elite Guard.

"The corpse?" Floyd asked.

"Ashes," Tabby answered, standing next to him. "So Floyd…what is this?"

He frowned. "I'm not entirely sure. Griffin, you're an expert in the Steel type, right?" The older man nodded. "Come and take a look at this."

Griffin stepped forward and placed a hand on the armor they'd laid out across a long workbench. "It's…cold."

Ren rolled her eyes. "An astute observation, Sherlock."

Griffin didn't respond to the barb. "Not that kind of cold. As in…the metal itself, how it was forged. It's steel but stronger. Some type of material that isn't coming to me." He shook his head and stepped back. "Usually I can tell what material a metal is from a touch. This…I can't."

Floyd's hand rasped against the bristling hairs along his jaw. "So it's a foreign material, then. Interesting."

"What's this all about though?" Zero asked, tapping the center sun emblem.

A shadow crossed over Floyd's face. "I'm not sure. Olivier never saw me in the armor long enough to memorize the symbol but…" He looked down, and now that they weren't in the heat of battle, Tabby could confirm that the symbols were exactly the same, down to the length of which the rays spanned the chestplate. "Regardless, it doesn't matter what they're wearing on their chests. If we see these…Elite Guards or whatever, they're enemies." A smile tugged at his lips. "I guess my taste in all black is to our advantage."

Ren made a noise that Tabby thought was growling, but was actually a noise of thought.

"You've got an idea?" Vanessa asked.

"Maybe," Ren said slowly, her red eyes narrowing. "I'll have to think on it." Her maw widened in a toothy yawn. "Truth be told, I'm tired. Boss, I'm going up to the library to mow through some more books. Maybe they'll have the answers we need." Floyd nodded and she padded away out of the garage.

"We should probably follow her example," Vanessa said. "I'm guessing she was talking about Nerevor's private study."

Silence followed Vanessa's statement as the older woman arched an eyebrow. "The one that's locked by magic? The one that could only be unlocked _by_ magic?"

Griffin let out a displeased grunt as Tabby felt herself go a little red and coughed. Zero shook his head and chuckled, muttering "Classic, classic," under his breath, and even Floyd looked a little uncomfortable.

"It…it's necessary," Tabby said. "It's not like we're the enemy here, Nessa."

"Nerevor wouldn't appreciate it," Vanessa replied, though she smiled when she said it. "Just be sure to put everything back, would you? And Griffin?"

"Hm?"

"No tattling."

"Hrm."

Everyone laughed at his sound of displeasure and the group broke off, Floyd flicking the light off behind them as they left the garage with a wince.

"You alright?" Tabby asked.

"Some of the burns haven't healed yet. That lightsaber cuts and burns pretty bad." His hand closed about his side, where the armor was more charred. There was the hint of angry, once-caramel skin underneath. "I'd go to Nurse Joy…er, one of them, but it looks like they have their hands full." The entire lobby was still in an uproar, though things were beginning to settle down as the flow of people coming back from the ambush had stopped.

"Sure does," Tabby said. "C'mon, I'll fix you up."

"You know how to heal?" he asked.

"Not wounds, no, but I know how to heal burns." She grinned and flashed the smooth skin of her hands to him. "Had to learn the hard way, working with fire."

Floyd chuckled. "I guess you would. After you."

###

Later, Blitz curled up in front of the TV that had no channels and quickly fell asleep after the day's exertions while Tabby sat behind Floyd, his chestplate and gauntlets discarded so that Tabby could get to his bare skin.

"Hold still."

"Ow."

"Floyd, I said hold still."

He grunted impatiently. "Can you…" He bit back a curse. "Can you go any faster?"

"There's no telling what kind of stuff that lightsaber could have put into these cuts," Tabby said. "I want to clean them first."

"What about the ones that have already healed?"

"Well, they'll have to take care of themselves." She dabbed as gently as she could with alcohol on a cotton swab, cleaning the edges that had cracked and showed blood underneath. How he wasn't in more pain was beyond her. There were only two minor slashes on his back, but the rest was at his front. She walked around and tilted his head up to get at them fully. A few of them were no longer than her pinky, but there was one that likely would have killed him if it had gone deeper. It was the most healed out of all of them, stretching from the left of his ribcage all the way to his right shoulder. She cleaned it as best she could to get it out of the way, dabbing all the way up his muscular form.

"You should be more careful." She glanced up and smiled as Floyd looked down and arched an eyebrow at her. "I'm serious."

"I believe you," he said. "Unfortunately, fortune favors the bold."

"So does death," Tabby said, cleaning the last of the cuts. "Can't be bold if you're dead." She hesitated. "You also can't keep your promise to me if you're dead."

He frowned. "Which was?"

"No dying."

He laughed. "Yeah, that would make it pretty hard, wouldn't it?" He shrugged."If you'd believe it, this is nowhere close to the worst I've ever been."

Now it was Tabby's turn to arch an eyebrow as she stood up. "Really?"

"Really."

She shook her head and placed both hands on his temples. The faint sound of a chiming bell rang through the room as white light pulsated from Tabby's hands and enveloped Floyd in a gentle glow. The burns on Floyd's chest unraveled, the tight skin and the heat trapped there fading into nothing. Soon, they were all gone save the long one up his chest, which faded into a red welt.

"That one will leave a bit of a scar, but you're all good," Tabby said, letting out a deep breath. "Hopefully your healing abilities will do the rest."

"So I see," Floyd said, touching his own chest. "Thank you."

"So we survived," Tabby said, sitting down next to him. "And with luck, we'll find a way to beat those Elite Guards easily." She paused. "Maybe we could clone you."

Floyd grunted. "Would certainly make things easier," he said, and Tabby laughed. "No, but I agree. The quicker we find a way to destroy those guards, the better."

Tabby nodded. "And afterwards…once we beat Olivier and everything, I mean…do you have any plans on what you're going to do?"

Floyd shrugged, his face impassive. "My best bet is to go somewhere with someone who has a lot of Pokemon knowledge, since that's likely what we were attacked by. I don't suppose I'll be finding the information I need here."

Tabby shifted a little, sheepish. "Yeah, I guess not. I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Floyd said. "My entire life has been one big challenge after another, so one more doesn't really matter at this point." He smiled a little. "And I suppose it makes for a nice impromptu vacation, so there's that."

"Usually vacations don't include fighting in a civil war."

He snorted. "Yeah, there is that."

Right about then, the entire building started shaking, a wave of disorientation rolling through Tabby as she gripped the arm of the couch for dear life. Blitz immediately woke from his nap and nearly burned down the room, the pyre atop his head roaring into overdrive as if they were being attacked. The lights flickered violently as though in the midst of a thunderstorm, and a wail of power echoed throughout the building. Quickly getting to their feet, Tabby and Floyd ran to a window near the bed and watched a purple wave of energy sweep over the snowy landscape and far into the distance.

"Oh good," Tabby said, a quaver of relief in her voice. "It's just Nerevor's shield. Looks like it's finally going up." The note of relief was replaced with annoyance. "Don't suppose he could have gone any slower with it though."

"I'm sure he worked as fast as he could," Floyd said, not looking at her. "That's…a lot of magical power."

He was right. Those wards weren't going to let anything save Arceus' Judgment through.

But that also meant, a dark voice in her head noted, that Olivier could build up her army and have it waiting for them whenever they needed to come out again.

"Hopefully that'll put the patrols at ease whenever they go out," Floyd continued. "And I suppose we'll see if Olivier has any tricks up her sleeve…or if that bomb she has is ready or not."

"You don't think she'll blow it, do you?" Tabby asked.

"There's no way to know for sure," Floyd said. "I can't imagine that she'd go through all the trouble of convincing the world that we're in the wrong just to vaporize us all, including the Southern Quarter. She has something else in her game, I know it."

Tabby sat down on the bed with a huff. "We wouldn't be in this mess in the first place if…" She stopped herself and shook her head, though Floyd turned to look at her.

"What?" he asked. "If…?"

Tabby looked away from him, ashamed by the black thoughts rolling through her mind. "Floyd…have you ever been up against someone who you know is wrong…who…who you know is completely insane? Who you know wouldn't hesitate to kill you and throw you away like trash, yet you just…"

"Sympathize," Floyd said, sitting down next to her. "This is about Corinth?"

"It's what he said," Tabby explained, her hands balled into fists. "He was literally going to murder Nerevor and then probably the rest of us, but what he said about Nerevor doing nothing…he's right Floyd." She finally gained the courage to look at him, staring into his deep brown eyes. "Before you got here, we were no closer to throwing Olivier out than she was to actually treating the Northern Quarter with respect. If _anything,_ we'd all just grown complacent with the whole thing. Do your job, don't hit back, don't start anything, don't finish anything. The most we'd done was through me, and we _all_ knew that nobody would be coming for us from the south. It just seems like…" She grasped for the words for a moment. "It just seems like Corinth had a decent point and after _everything_ Olivier's done, _especially_ today, it's really sticking to me."

"That's not a bad thing," Floyd said. "It's a lot easier to sympathize with the guy when you've known him your entire adult life. And I agree; Nerevor probably could have and _would have_ put this thing down a long time ago by force if he wanted to."

That didn't make Tabby feel any better. Had Corinth been right?

"But even if he was wrong about that, he was also right about something else." Tabby raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Corinth's motivations are twisted now. Sure, maybe once upon a time when he lost his mom and dad, it was about making sure it never happened again. But all that talk of putting non-magical beings into their proper place?" He grunted. "Well, let's just say that in our universe, we've had a few nasty people who thought the same thing. Replace the magic part with how someone looks, or what they believe in, and it's the same story, and every single time, it never ends well."

"I guess you're right," Tabby said. She sighed. "I just feel so conflicted, I guess."

He shrugged. "That means you're human, Tabby. Of course you see the good and the bad. I'm sure Griffin and Vanessa and Zero see it too. And I know Nerevor probably feels bad as well. But the difference between you and Corinth was that your ideals stayed true. Your purpose is still in the right. His isn't. And when we win, hopefully you'll have a chance to tell him that."

"When we win?" Tabby asked, though she smiled when she asked it.

"Yes," Floyd responded. "When we win."

Tabby sighed. "One of these days, I'll hear one of your motivating speeches and not need another one a few days later." The two of them laughed at that, Tabby's smile still remaining as they controlled themselves. "Thank you. I needed that."

"You're welcome," Floyd said, clapping her on the shoulder. "Now come on. Let's go—"

"Guysguysguysguysguys!" Ren shouted, bounding into their room. "I got something, BIG! But uh, didn't bring it down here because it's a _lot!_ Come on!"

Tabby and Floyd shared a look, shrugged, and then followed the overly-excited Absol out of the room.

###

"Alright, alright, so buckle in because this is one hell of a Mr. Bones' Wild Ride," Ren said, her tail dragging quickly against the wood of the chair like it did when she was excited.

"Mr Bones' Wild Ride?" Tabby asked, visibly confused.

Floyd sighed. "She gets on the internet way too much. Ren, keep the culture references to a minimum, girl."

Ren pouted, and Floyd actually had to force back a smile. "Okay, fine. Here goes. So, children! Which one of you knows what," she motioned to a very sloppily drawn sun that was supposed to be Floyd's emblem, "this means? And don't you dare make fun of it, I don't have hands so I had to draw it with my mouth. Come on, don't be shy. Blitz, you can't talk so put your hand down. You there, tall, dark and brooding! Give it a go!"

"It's my…it's Light's symbol, I suppose," Floyd said. He'd never given it much thought before. He knew of his heritage, but he'd never studied it in great length. He wasn't even on Christmas card terms with the ancient deity, and the less he had to associate with him, the better.

"See, that's what I thought," Ren said. "I mean, you're right, but also you're wrong. Half-and-half really." She turned to the mound of books on the table. "So I was going through the stuff we pulled out before you almost got carved up like Christmas turkey and I couldn't really find a connection to anything. Then I had a brainwave, right? There had to be a reason Olivier put those suns on the armor. That combined with what the Elite Guard said before he attacked, I knew I had something."

"What he said?" Tabby asked. "Oh, right. Something about…Arceus blessing the day, right?"

Ren nodded. "That got me thinking; what if we crossed this symbol," she tapped it with her claw, "with our books relating to necromancy and shadows and shit, right? Well Beheeyem worked his magic and brought me _this_ pile which I scanned through and finally came up with _this!"_ She placed her paw triumphantly on a book with a bland hardcover named _Mysteries of the Cosmos, Vol. 1._ "Now, the first thing that caught my eye was this page right here," she flipped it open and turned a few pages to show…

Floyd stiffened.

It was the sun emblem. And not small either. It was huge, taking up the entire page…but there was something different about it. A Pokemon was in the center, and Floyd could only assume that it was…

"Arceus," Tabby said, impressed. "Ren, what…what did you find?"

"It goes way way _way_ back," Ren said. "A long _long_ story short is once upon a time, an ancient civilization ruled basically the entire world. They were some of the first intelligent humans, or at least things that resembled humans, on the planet, and eventually discovered the truth about what created the universe, that thing being Arceus. Eventually the entire civilization disappeared except for small remainders that were left behind and regrew. The most notable of the remainders were these people in the village of Michina Town, who prayed and prayed for Arceus to come down and make their land fertile. Their village was dying, see, 'cause the soil was complete shit, no one could grow crops. Even the Pokemon started leaving. To top it off, a meteor was about to come down right on top of them, Arceus shows up and saves the day, and the people considered it a miracle. They nursed Arceus back to health, and he gifted them with—"

"The Jewel of Life!" Tabby shouted. All of the Beheeyem and Elgyem turned and looked at her with annoyance at her loudness. "Er, sorry," Tabby said in a much lower voice. "I know this story! Arceus separated literal pieces of its lifeforce and shaped them into one big jewel so that the humans could keep it and make the land rich and fertile for living in."

"Yeah-huh," Ren said with a nod. "And in doing so they created _this_ symbol, honoring Arceus eternally. But as it goes, the ancient Michina Town died out, a modern one sprung up in its place, and eventually this symbol was lost until the researchers who wrote this uncovered it in the Michina Ruins."

"So Olivier is branding her soldiers with the sign of Arceus?" Tabby asked. "That's…isn't that kinda a form of blasphemy?"

"Well, here's the rub," Ren said. "How can this symbol be related to Arceus _and_ be on Boss' chest at the same time? Two different universes, right?"

Tabby seemed stumped, but Floyd got it at once. "Zinnia."

"I think that the Draconids were a part of Michina Town at first, or at least its protectors," Ren said. "See, our Draconids love them some mountains. They live in Mount Everest, like, _in_ it. They train their dragons there, and they have an entire civilization inside. Michina is _right_ next to a stretch of mountains on the map, and we were just talking about how Zinnia has _probably_ been here about that asteroid that nearly wiped you all out."

"Wait, wait, wait," Tabby said. "That wouldn't matter, right? I mean, Floyd, your dad literally made your universe, didn't he?"

"Maybe so," Floyd said. "But there's no way to prove that it was made before yours." He reached forward and touched the symbol on the page, his thoughts racing through his brain at a million miles a minute. "If the Draconids still worshiped Arceus when they found a way to get to our universe, this symbol would be passed down to everyone they met. And if the Draconids protected our ancestors like they might have protected the people of Michina Town, they might have spread their beliefs through history _way_ before the first Lightborn touched down on Earth." He touched his chest, even though he was only wearing a shirt and not his armor.

"Then…the Elite Guard that used the same attack as you…" Tabby started. "What does that mean?"

"It confirms that my father and Arceus have more than a little in common," Floyd said. "I don't know if it's a servant or a different form of Light or what, but Arceus must be able to give the same powers to mortals that my dad did to me."

"And they can just enchant that through armor?" Tabby asked. "That's terrible!"

"Maybe so, but it explains why that thing nearly killed you, Boss," Ren said. "It has _your_ powers, just maybe not to your extent…which leads me to my next piece of bad news. While I was reading up on the Jewel of Life, there was another section in there about the rest of Arceus' Plates." She flipped a few pages then pushed the book forward for them to read.

**The Ghost Plate**

The Spooky Plate, the Ghost Plate, the Plate of Specters, the Plate of the Dead. Whatever its name, this Plate pertains to one of the most unknown and near-unexplainable types of Pokemon there is. Whether it is the souls of the restless dead that maintain a physical Pokemon form after death, the curse of an enemy, or even worse, Ghost types have baffled even the most experienced of Pokemon Professors and biologists to this very day. The Spooky Plate delves further into the mystery of Ghosts, with ancient writings claiming it has the power to manipulate the shadows themselves. Believing the shadows to contain the souls of mortals long past, ancient writings also believed that the Spooky Plate could reanimate the dead, strike fear and dread into one's heart as easily as an angry Nidoking would, and leech away the life force of the living, if only to quench its endless and infinite lust to rejoin the world of the living once more. Such is its nature…and its curse.

"That explains a lot," Floyd said as he finished reading aloud. "Whenever she walks by someone, they seem to cower back in fear. I get that she's a big deal, but it almost looked irrational. The receptionist underneath Central Tower…he turned back to normal as soon as she went around the corner. It must be a strong magical effect…an aura of some kind."

"Nerevor's never been scared of her," Tabby said, tapping her lips contemplatively. "If it really is a magical effect, that would explain why he never was. He's probably strong enough to guard against it without even trying."

"And you would be too, Boss," Ren said. "You're a little weaker than he is, but you weren't afraid at all. And that's not even talking about the horrific light show she put on when she was sucking down souls."

He let out a deep breath…and to his surprise he smiled. "Then we have to assume that Olivier has the Ghost Plate."

"Why are you smiling then?" Ren asked.

"Because there's a very good chance that we know something Olivier might not want us to know. We have advantage-point right now, and if we can find a way to exploit that weakness, we'll have her like a rat in a trap." He looked to Tabby, who seemed to be as excited as he was. "Is there anything you can think of that would be able to stand up to someone wielding a Ghost Plate? A weapon or an artifact maybe? Even a Pokemon would do."

"Well, Ren would do fine," Tabby said. "Ghost is weak to Dark, and Dark resists Ghost. But I'm sure you'll need more than one Absol…not to say you wouldn't give her a handful." She was lost in thought for a moment, thinking hard. Floyd kept his fingers mentally crossed that she would think of something…

The brunette snapped, a wild light in her eyes. "I got it!"

###

"Snowpoint Temple?" the council asked all at once.

"Okay, I'm no wizard," Zero started at once. "But isn't that the big no-no that Nerevor teaches you guys when you start learning magic? To never ever ever ever go up there because the spirits will twist you into a knot and throw you into the depths?"

"Much more serious than that," Vanessa said. "There are items of unchecked power in the ruins. The spirits guarding them have been there since before Nerevor's grandfather was alive, and they're as tough as they come. Any novice would be immediately attacked, if not killed for entering."

"Spirits?" Floyd asked.

"No one knows what they are," Griffin said. "They're entities that lurk in every corner of that damned temple, and it stretches far underground. It's likely that they're Pokemon and that no one has ever gotten a good look at them because, well…they tend to kill anyone who goes in."

"Not everyone."

The entire council turned around to see Nerevor cross the room and stride inside. He looked tired, and leaned upon a wooden staff a little too much as he walked, but otherwise, he seemed fine. Everyone got up from the table to rush over to him, asking him how he'd been and if he was alright.

Floyd's eyes flicked over to Tabby who had stood up but remained rooted in place. Maybe she wasn't as okay as she said she was.

"You've went in there?" Griffin asked, his usual poker face broken with shock at the moment.

The old wizard smiled and took his seat at the table. "Why do you think I imposed the rule in the first place? The Gym Leader before you, Zero…Candace, I believe her name was, conferred with me about who would be allowed inside. I stated that only trainers who had beaten the Elite Four and conquered the Champion were to be allowed inside, and even then, that they were only to visit the first floor and go no further. The guardians do not attack on the first floor so long as there is no malicious intent, but anything below the first floor warrants attack." He frowned. "What exactly is it you hope to find in there?"

Tabby spoke up. "Something to counteract the Ghost Plate Olivier is using to bring the dead back and shove them in their suits of armor." She filled Nerevor in on everything he'd missed from the past day.

"I see," Nerevor said, digesting the information as he laced his gnarled hands in front of his face. "This explains a great deal."

"Is she right?" Ren asked. "Could there be something in there that could help us beat Olivier?"

Nerevor shrugged. "In the few times I have journeyed into its depths, I have only ever made it so far underground before I was forced to turn back. But Snowpoint Temple is ancient, its origins stretching back possibly to the time period of which you researched. It's possible it may contain answers."

"Then I think the risk is worth it," Floyd said. "No one else needs to go if they don't want to. Ren and I have experience going into ancient ruins filled with murderous spirits, and we can do it again."

"You're not going alone," Tabby said immediately. "I'm coming too. We make a pretty damn good team between the four of us."

Floyd nodded, surprised at how much it cheered him that she readily volunteered.

"I should come with as well," Vanessa said. "If we're really going underground…well, the ground is my specialty. If whoever built the temple left any traps or hidden passages along the way, you'll avoid them or find them easier with me."

Everyone turned to Nerevor, who also nodded in agreement. "I will leave it to your judgment to do what is right. The rest of us will hold here. If what you've said is true, we will need to be vigilant for another one of Olivier's attacks and continue to gather intelligence. Griffin, please assign more men to the southern border of the Quarter's ward. It is likely that Olivier will begin to test our defenses, and when she finds that she cannot breach them, she may begin stationing a garrison outside. Zero, I will need to sit down with you and go over a plan of action regarding our younger trainers and initiates. They look up to you, and should disaster fall, I will rely on you to keep them safe." He let out a deep breath and smiled. "As for the rest of you…it seems you have a drive ahead of you. I recommend leaving before first light tomorrow morning. We will meet in the garage before you take off. Agreed?"

No one else had anything to offer, and the council dismissed.

###

Tabby stewed in her room as she stuffed an emergency change of clothes into her go-bag, something like frustration hovering at the edge of her mind.

She didn't blame Nerevor for what had happened, not really. But every time she ran through that night, Corinth's words seemed to grow louder and louder in her skull as they repeated on loop like a bad CD.

" _YOU STOOD BY AND WATCHED AS MOTHER WITHERED AWAY INTO A SKELETON, YOU WATCHED AS THESE PEOPLE AROUND ME LOST LOVED ONES LEFT AND RIGHT!"_

Tabby shook her head. It was a little scary how easy it was to see his side of the matter, maybe because it _had_ happened to her too. If she hadn't had full faith in Nerevor, if she'd even been a little bit unsure…would she have been in those streets with Corinth? Would Floyd have had to face her with his terrible power, or Nerevor had to look her in the eye as they attacked one another?

"Fernape," Blitz said softly. Tabby looked back and saw the Infernape patting his stomach while pointing at her.

"It's alright, I'm not hungry," Tabby said, trying her best to smile. "You probably are though, huh?" She got up and poured him some of his favorite spicy food. "Eat up, so you can be big and strong for tomorrow."

Blitz frowned at his bowl, then loped over to one of the counters, retrieving a box of cereal and holding it up to her insistently.

That got a smile out of her. "If I eat, will you eat?"

"Infernape!"

She sighed melodramatically. "Fine, I guess it can't be helped. Let's eat."

_Knock knock knock._

"Right after I see who that is," she said. Floyd and Ren awaited her at the door, the latter of whom looked annoyed to say the least. "What's up?"

"Did you talk to Nerevor?" Floyd asked. Ren didn't say anything, walking past her and into the room.

"Come in, I guess," Tabby muttered into her breath. "No, I didn't. Should I have?" She let Floyd in the room, who promptly turned and crossed his arms. "I guess the answer is yes. But why?"

"We're about to go into a ruin and there's a good chance we might die," Floyd said. "I think he'd like to hear it from you that you don't agree with Corinth."

Tabby gave him a skeptical look. "You think he's worried about me betraying him?"

"No," Floyd said. "I think he's worried that his someone he considers family blames him for getting two of his favorite students and close friends killed."

Yeah, he had a good point. She hadn't exactly been chatty with him after the meeting.

"I guess I could talk to him before we leave," Tabby said. "Maybe."

"Good." He walked into the small kitchen space between her bedroom and the sitting room. "You have any bowls?"

"Top cabinet," Tabby said. "You didn't just come here to tell me to talk to Nerevor did you?"

"No," he answered. "I also came down here to cheer you up before tomorrow."

"Cheer me up?" Tabby asked. "How?"

He walked over and placed the empty bowl on the coffee table that contained…his phone? It was a makeshift speaker but…

A familiar tune began to bump from the table, amplified from the bowl. Immediately, Tabby's feet began to tap to it.

"Are you…playing my music?" Tabby asked as Come On, Eileen started playing.

"No," Floyd said, confused. "This is my…you know this song?"

Tabby nodded. "Come On, Eileen by the Deoxys Midnight Runners."

He laughed a loud laugh, throwing his head back. "Of course! With all the weird coincidences, our universes have the same music." He chuckled again and shook his head. "Alright, that makes this easier." He held out his hand as the main verse started. "Dance with me."

Tabby could feel herself go red, sputtering as she looked at his outstretched hand. "Why?" she finally got out.

"Because you've been under a lot of stress and done nothing but try to find a way out of the mess for a month straight, to say less of before we'd even met. Come on." He wiggled his fingers.

"You-wha…do you even dance?" Tabby asked.

"Dancing is like fighting," Floyd said. "And I am very bad at it. Come on."

Tabby pursed her lips, though eventually they broke into a smile. "Okay."

Her fingers closed around his as he pulled her into the center of the room, a wild grin splitting on her face as she began to dance.

###

Ren couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Floyd was one of the most no-nonsense people she'd ever met. Back home, the man would rather go into the battlegrounds to train while the school dance took place in the gymnasium.

And here he was, dancing like a madman with the witch of the snow-covered hills.

_Come on, Eileen, too rye aye  
Come on, Eileen, too rye aye_

Floyd and Tabby began to circle each other, bouncing up and down on their heels and growing closer with every line. The brunette's hair was frazzled from the rapid movements of their dance, and the grin that was plastered on her face was so infectious, Ren started to smile too.

 _Said, come on, Eileen_  
These things they are real and I know  
How you feel

"Fernape?" Blitz asked as the music kicked into its final, rapid tempo.

For a long time, Ren had to watch her best friend, the man she owed everything to, be so…sad. All he had to live for was the next fight, he'd always said it. She just wanted him to be happy, to find something else other than the next fight, something that was worth fighting _for._ Their little excursion into a different universe had been annoying, sure. There was a chance they were all going to die tomorrow, to say nothing of the future beyond that.

But if they did live…well, maybe Ren would have to play matchmaker.

She let the smile blossom fully as Tabby squealed with delight as Floyd picked her up and spun her around, the Deoxys Midnight Runners playing them out.

"Yeah," Ren answered as the two goofballs fell onto the couch. "They definitely do."


	22. Chapter 20: Snowpoint Temple

**Chapter 20: Snowpoint Temple**

Floyd closed the trunk, dusting off his hands. "Alright. We've got five days of rations in each bag, and a 32-ounce water bottle in each. Tabby, you'll be on water duty once we run out, but hopefully you'll only have to refill once or twice before we get in and out again." He rubbed his jaw as he thought. He'd barely gotten the chance to shave half an hour ago. "I can't think of anything else. Ren?"

"Yeah, I've got something," she said. "If we tell you two to do something, fucking do it when we say to. Ruins like these tend not to care about hesitation when they're tearing your head off."

Both Tabby and Vanessa seemed more than a little nervous after Ren's statement and Floyd sighed. "Look, I know it's dangerous. Some people," he scowled at Ren, who gave him a cheery smile in return, "don't know how to ease you into that. But as long as we're careful, we'll be fine. We'll leave in five minutes. Anything last minute you need to do, do it now."

He'd meant that for Tabby's sake, and the brunette gave him a near-imperceptible nod.

Though of course, Ren had to make things louder.

"Ooookay, the bus is leaving in T-minus 5 minutes! All bathroom breaks, after-excavation plans, last minute changes of clothes, must be taken care of before we leave the station! Please keep your hands, feet, noses, long-ass hairs and other appendages inside the vehicle at all ti—"

Floyd scooped up the lippy Absol and all but tossed her in the passenger seat, rolling his eyes with a smile.

He watched Tabby cross the room over to Nerevor for a second before sliding into the driver's seat himself. He started the car, the electronics flickering to life as the heat kicked on.

"So, Boss," Ren started.

"Yes, Ren?"

"When are you going to…y'know."

"No, I don't know."

Ren tsked. "What are you going to do about Tabby?"

"What do you mean?"

"When are you going to bone her?"

"…I really don't care for you right now."

"Look, I know it's not America, but I think I still have the freedom to ask a question."

"You have the freedom to shut the hell up."

"Ooh, _meow,"_ Ren said while waving a paw. "Alright, I'll leave it alone."

"Good."

"For now anyways." Floyd rolled his eyes towards her leering grin. "Because after we win this war…well, we might have to do something about Goo-Goo Eyes over there."

"Why are you calling her that?"

"Because those green eyes don't lie, and neither do I."

It was going to be a long trip.

###

Tabby walked up to Nerevor, while Griffin and Zero wisely gave them some space and went to talk to Vanessa before they left.

For a moment, no one said anything.

"I know," Nerevor said at last, "what you want to say."

"There are a lot of things I want to say," Tabby said, guilt gnawing at some of her words.

"You want to say that you partially agree with Corinth," Nerevor said softly. "Is that it?"

There was no point lying to him. She nodded slowly, unable to look him in the eye. "I don't…I know we're doing the right thing, but I…I'd still never…"

"I know, my dear," Nerevor said as he stepped forward. A gnarled hand placed itself on her shoulder, warm and fatherly, and Tabby found herself able to look up again. "I have…failed you. That much is certain. It is only right that you would blame me…as you should. Corinth was right…I should have taken action much sooner. I cannot even begin to justify it. All that I can say is that I was afraid of losing any more of you. I knew Corinth's father before I met your parents, and his death was hard on me. But your parents' deaths…those were by far the worst losses I have endured."

"Then why didn't we…" Tabby started in a small voice. "Why didn't we fight for them?"

"The fault is mine," Nerevor replied, bowing his head. "Your mother…it was her greatest gift. She could not stand to sit on the sidelines any more than your father could. I suppose that in a way…I am responsible."

"Don't say that," Tabby snapped. She took a deep breath and returned her voice to normal. "Mom…Mom knew what she was doing. Even if she…even if it…" She sighed and shook her head.

"I know that your feelings are conflicted, and they have every right to be," Nerevor said. "All that I ask is that you continue to fight alongside me. Every person that Corinth manages to turn is another setback in this battle."

Tabby nodded. She would stay with Nerevor, there was no question about that.

"And Tabby?" She looked back up at his face, and was surprised to see that he was smiling. "It pleases me to see that you've learned from an old fool's mistakes. Fighting so vigorously to protect our front lines until I was able to work the ward around the Quarter…that took courage that only your mother and father could give. And I am so proud of you."

She smiled and wiped at her eyes…then slammed into the arch-mage with a hug. He was taken aback at first, but soon chuckled and patted the top of her head.

"Silly old man," Tabby said, her voice choked. "Everyone makes mistakes." Floyd's words echoed in her head. "Everyone has issues. That's what makes us human."

The arch-mage looked stunned for a moment, then bowed his head, a smile crossing his face. "You're even wiser than I give you credit for. Go! Let an old fool try to correct his foolishness. I will see you when you return."

Tabby nodded and walked back to the car. She would have said the words, but she didn't need to. They'd already been said, in one way or another.

"You ready?" Floyd asked as she slid into the seat next to Vanessa.

"Yeah," Tabby replied, buckling in. "Let's go."

The car pulled out from the garage and onto the street, their course set for Snowpoint Temple, which was nestled in the hills and mountains that loomed in the distance through the early-morning haze.

###

High above, some of Olivier's most powerful and fastest Magnezone zipped through the clouds, completely unseen to the resistance effort and any other eyes that strayed to look into the still-dark morning sky. Olivier herself watched with great interest from her quarters, pleased that there was something to do. Something to distract her.

Because the Ghost Plate had changed her.

Her physical appearance was something she could change. The black shadow in her veins wasn't permanent, and seemed to only manifest whenever she actively called upon the non-passive powers of the Ghost Plate. But some of the physical changes…those were permanent.

She could see in the dark, perhaps even better than regular humans could see in the day under a beaming sun. And she was so, so cold that the outside temperature didn't bother her at all. She could grow no colder, not with the monster that was the Plate residing in her flesh, her spirit.

Olivier glanced away from the video feed and down the length of her forearm, which should have been a mangled, scarred mess. Earlier in the week, one of the guardsmen had…lost faith. In his error, he and his Bisharp had tried to attack her and some of the Liberated that had accompanied her as her personal guard. The Cleansers nearby had cut him into so many pieces he'd been able to be washed down a sewer drain, but the Bisharp had forced its way through and torn a vicious gash down Olivier's forearm before a Cleanser could cleave it in two.

The wound had healed almost immediately, and Olivier had felt nothing but unyielding rage at the man and his Pokemon…and fear at herself.

What had she become?

She needed much less rest than the average human or really the average Pokemon. She had certainly never been slow or weak before tapping into the Plate's reserves of power, but just by looking at, say, a car, she knew that she would be able to twist the metal bumper upon it like it was a pipe cleaner.

And worst of all…the shadows spoke to her.

They whispered in devilish choruses. They urged her to kill and kill and kill, to claim soul after soul, to grow stronger and drink the blood of her enemies as she used to drink wine as a pasttime. If she would simply order the death of this wretched city, whispered the shadows, she could have all the power in the world. The Psionic would kneel before her, kiss her boots and beg for mercy. She could rule Sinnoh. She could rule the world…no, the universe!

And all she had to do was give up control. Let the snarling, soulless thing that hunted in lightless places control her body, mutate her and evolve her beyond that of humans or Pokemon.

The raw fear that absolutely coursed through her veins when the whispers started was all that kept Olivier from relinquishing that control. The primal instinct in her animalistic mind screamed at her that if she did that, if she let go…she would fall and scream forever. No turning back.

So much to the dismay of the shadows boiling inside of her, Olivier kept her power under tight wraps, deigning not to use it unless absolutely necessary. Her little stunt with the necromancy had quite literally almost taken her over the edge. She'd seen her own pallid, gray-streaked face before she had learned how to control herself, and that was nothing she wished to repeat.

But it might be a risk she would have to take soon.

Because the Magnezone zoomed in on a lone vehicle heading even further north from the Northern Quarter. Sanctuary was easily half an hour away from their current position and growing steadily farther away.

There was only one thing that would be worth anyone's time to travel that far north for.

"Snowpoint Temple," Olivier hissed. Her shadow boiled up behind her, crawling up the walls and looming over the screens in response to her anger.

There was a good chance that Floyd was on his way there right now, and likely Tabby would plod along in his footsteps.

They might find a way to defeat her.

Of course, if they came back alive, Olivier would likely be killed anyways. The Psionic had explicitly told her that she had one other duty as the self-appointed governor of Snowpoint; do not let anyone enter Snowpoint Temple.

Why? She had never seen fit to ask, for she likely would have been killed for her trouble. And Nerevor, it seemed, prohibited any of his people from entering the ruins anyways. The fools that went regardless never returned. But Floyd and Tabby were different. Stronger. It was likely they could reach the ruins and traverse them with no problem.

The shadows inside her head hissed suggestions at her, whispered that she could defeat them all at once if she just gave up control. But that would be suicide too, and she knew that.

"Send me our most magically adept Liberated and some of our strongest Cleansers," Olivier said into her intercom. "Have them meet me on the ground floor."

Snowpoint Temple was a problem, yes.

But the problem would resolve itself if those two never came out again.

Olivier strolled out of her room with the screens, her shadow billowing behind her.

###

The drive took longer than Floyd would have liked. Had he been back on his own Earth, he could have fixed the flight mechanism no problem in the car. But this Earth lacked the materials and the technology to do such deep repairs. Still, it was better than walking.

That would have been quite the walk.

Snowpoint Temple seemed to be on the very, _very_ edge of civilization. They traveled up a bumpy mountain road, through winding passes that cut through the towering trees that housed hundreds of colonies of Pokemon. Howling gales roared from the north, the wind tearing off the surface of the freezing sea. They drove for almost an hour and a half, and by the hour mark, most of the car had fallen asleep save Ren.

"You seem anxious," Floyd said.

"Yeah," Ren replied. "You know why."

He nodded. "How long do you think they've been following us?"

"I don't know," Ren said. "Maybe since we left. But they haven't shown themselves, and they haven't attacked yet. What do you think they're waiting for?"

"Maybe for us to get there," Floyd said. "Be extra watchful when we get out." He turned the corner, his eyes widening a little. "And that starts now." He raised his voice a little. "Guys. We're here." Tabby's head came up off the window, while Vanessa stretched and sat forward, looking between the driver and passenger seat through the windshield.

"Wow," she said, a little less than thunderstruck. "I've seen it in pictures and in books but…"

"It's massive," Tabby said quietly.

Snowpoint Temple was less of a temple and more of a fortress. It was a colossal structure of once-gleaming marble, worn down and crumbling from the centuries in the raw fury of the elements. Curtains of thick moss lined the massive stone pillars that kept the temple from collapsing in on itself due to its massive bulk. Floyd was absolutely sure that Sanctuary—all of it—could have fit snugly inside, and he was only seeing the top floor. The entrance alone would have dwarfed even the tallest Pokemon, the tallest monster he'd ever seen.

Except for that demon creature that had gotten him trapped here in the first place.

Floyd blinked away the memory and parked the car, stepping outside and popping the trunk. The others joined him and grabbed supply bags. Tabby let out Blitz and strapped a backpack to his back, while Floyd clipped a few pouches to Ren's furry underside.

"I'd have Vance carry one too," Vanessa explained, "but I think he'd just as soon tear it to shreds on accident when I put it on him."

Floyd nodded, though he didn't know who or what Vance was. "That's fine. Okay, listen up. It's like we said when we left; if Ren or I tell you to do something, do it. If we tell you to run, run. If we tell you to hide, hide. If we tell you to leave us behind and get back to Sanctuary, then do it. If we find the information we need and get in trouble, the car can get you back safely. If worst comes to worst, I can fly myself and Ren back…hopefully. Any questions?" Vanessa, Blitz, and Tabby all shook their heads. "Okay. Vanessa, I want you up front. You said you'd be able to detect any traps that might be inside the ruins." He turned around and craned his neck to look at the tip of the structure that loomed over the hillside. "I have a feeling you'll have your work cut out for you. Tabby, Blitz, you guys will bring up the rear. If we're attacked, hit them from a distance. Ren and I will take the middle. We'll try to get as deep as we can before we need to rest. Let's go."

The majority of the day's light had broken through the puffy white clouds, doing nothing to warm them from the chill of the mountain air so high up. Just as soon it began to get rather cold, they stepped onto the mound of stairs leading up to the gaping entrance to the temple and stepped inside. There was a crack of a Pokeball, and from the light that spilled from the device formed a strange mole-looking Pokemon, with claws and a horn that looked as though it could slash through stone as easily as it could flesh.

"Drill!" the Pokemon shouted.

"This is Vance, my Excadrill," Vanessa said. She patted his horn, and he swiveled around to face them all. "With his help, I should be able to detect anything in the ground…or if we have visitors later on."

"Good," Floyd said. "Lead on, then."

The interior was just as grand as the outside, if not more so. Whoever or whatever had built the temple had built it for functionality as well as fashion. Huge statues of Pokemon Floyd had never seen before loomed over them all like sentries made of stone, the details so fine and lifelike that for an instant, Floyd feared he would turn around and see a basilisk. Or a gorgon. With his luck, it would be both. The marble outside had been weathered down by the elements, but the floor had not, the tile clicking beneath the boots of the group as they walked. Nerevor had told them that the guardians did not attack anyone on the first floor who held no hostile intentions, and it seemed he was true to his word. None of the statues moved or leapt from their plinths to smash them into the dust, and nothing broke from the floor to claw at them with dead hands. No bones or ancient remains littered the floor, no bloodstains…

It was reminiscent of a larger, cleaner tomb.

The statues grew larger and larger, the designs growing more intricate down the line. The statues became less indistinguishable and more…Pokemon-like. They had visible appendages of sorts, and weren't disproportional like the rest. The statues ended just before the largest of the statues appeared at the end of the marble hall, its massive bulk looking as though it could crush the floor in and just keeping falling if one tipped it over. It was of three of the most detailed statues Floyd had ever seen, their features hewn expertly from stone that looked as though it took years. One was tall and menacing, its arms ending in massive blocks that were big enough to crush his head like a grape between them. Another was so expertly crafted that Floyd could tell it was supposed to be made from ice, its arms and legs ending in delicate but vicious points. The last was the squattest of them, with fat fingers and a body that seemed to exist in between a shell of sorts. All three of them bowed before the tallest of the statues, a hulking golem with arms like the thickest of the trees that covered the mountain pass to the temple, and legs that were wreathed in what looked to be fur, strong enough to shatter and shake the ground it walked on. Upon its back was a giant globe; the Earth. It seemed like the Pokemon was carrying it, or maybe holding it up.

"This looks familiar," Ren said, stepping closer. "What's the story behind this?"

"The three Pokemon on the ground are the lesser Regis," Tabby said, her voice distant as she looked at the statue in the middle. "Regirock, Regice, and Registeel. The one in the middle, that big one…that's Regigigas."

Vanessa nodded. "Regigigas is supposed to have made the lesser Regis, and unless I miss my guess," she waved a hand behind them, "the statues leading up here might have been…prototypes, I guess. It's telling a story. The planet on its back is a sign of strength. According to the children's books, Regigigas is able to move the continents around like toys with how strong it is."

"Sounds kinda similar to Atlas," Ren said.

Floyd nodded. "Atlas is a Titan from Greek history. He was strong enough to hold up the skies, and the gods of that time forced him to for all eternity. He's usually made to hold a globe on his back in the statues too."

"Guess a lot of our universe and this one might be mirrored in a way," Ren said contemplatively.

Floyd gave the statue of Regigigas a frown. "I guess so. Come on, we can sightsee once we have some solid answers." There was a wide staircase behind Regigigas that yawned deep underground. The real hell would begin soon after that.

Floyd and the others walked away from the statue…but Tabby didn't.

"Nape?" Blitz asked, and they all turned around.

Tabby was staring intently at the base of Regigigas' statue, the skin around her eyes tight as she squinted.

"Tabby?" Floyd asked. "You okay?"

"I…" She shook her head, but she was unable to look away. It was like there was something there that she could see…but he couldn't.

"Vanessa?" Floyd asked.

"Nothing," she replied. "If there is something there, it's not weighing on the earth." Vance nodded in agreement.

"Tabby, come on. Are you okay?" He touched her arm, and even through her warm traveling clothes, she felt feverish, almost boiling. "Tabby!"

It took her a minute, but her emerald-green eyes slid over to face him, unfocused and dreamy. "Floyd?" She shook her head again, then slapped herself, seeming to come out of it. "Floyd," she said again. "I…I don't…"

"Come on," he said, herding her forward. "Let's leave Regigigas to his subjects."

Blitz offered his arm to his trainer, helping her down the stairs after Ren, Vanessa and Vance. Floyd stepped forward, gave Regigigas one last glance, then started forward, leaving the silent tomb of giants behind.

They descended down the wide staircase for what seemed like an eternity, the path sometimes widening, sometimes narrowing so much that the had to walk two abreast. The air grew warmer as they went down, and Floyd took that as a bit of a bad sign. It was natural heat from the earth…which meant that any Pokemon that enjoyed heat would be down here as well. And they might not take too kindly to visitors.

Vanessa and Vance said nothing though, leading the way with flashlights. Floyd tapped the sun on his armor, the light more than enough to keep their entire party visible.

Tabby stayed silent.

Floyd idly wondered what had spooked her so badly, then focused on the bigger problems.

They'd come across their first set of remains.

Vanessa shook her head sadly and crouched down to examine the molding bones. They were very clearly human and Pokemon remains. The human skull and bones were quite small; the human in question couldn't have been any older than a teenager. Around them were the bones of their Pokemon long past, Pokemon who had probably died defending their trainer…or attempting to.

"That," Vanessa said, straightening up and pointing to a longer skull with a snout, "is a Charizard skull. And those silvery bones there, the ones that look like claws? Scizor bones. This trainer had some powerful Pokemon."

"So do we," Floyd said. "And I'm willing to bet this one didn't have magic on his side. Let them rest, and let's keep moving."

As it was though, they couldn't move very far. The staircase finally flowed into a large hall filled with niches, empty stone plints, and more human and Pokemon remains. A ghostly blue light seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere, a mist hissing up from the marble flagstones themselves. A few coffins lined the walls as well…to say nothing of the bones heaped in piles on the floor. The poor soul on the stairs had simply left their bones intact when they'd died.

These ones looked as though they'd been hit with a cannonball to the chest.

" _OH, MORE PLAYTHINGS!"_

Floyd unsheathed his lightsaber, Ren's horn flared with negative energy, and both Tabby and Vanessa stepped behind him, readying their magic while their Pokemon snarled and stepped forward to defend them.

" _It's been soooooooo long…I've been sooooo bored."_

Floyd blinked, and a doll was standing at the end of the tomb where he was certain it hadn't been there a moment ago. It looked like a voodoo doll of sorts, a moldy gray with saggy arms and legs and a zipper across its mouth.

"Oh, no," Tabby said under her breath.

"Hello," Floyd said. "We don't want to hurt you. Just let us pass. All we want to do is get further into the ruins without trouble."

" _Trouble? Me?"_ the doll asked. _"I do not make trouble. No, no, I help the guardians dispose of wayward mortals who tread below the surface!"_

The doll sounded so cheery about this that it was hard not to be unnerved. "I'm guessing you're the reason there's a carpet of bones down here?"

The doll nodded eagerly, rising off the ground. _"The guardians don't like trespassers. I was a trespasser. Then the guardians pounded me into dust. Everything was cold. Then I was inside my dolly! And everything is okay, so long as I make sure you don't leave here alive!"_

The doll crossed its tiny arms across its body and began to hum with power.

"Ren?" Floyd asked.

"Banette," she answered quickly. "Ghost type, horn is throbbing like a bitch. Everybody be careful."

Floyd nodded. "Then strike quickly. Cut through it!"

The Banette let out a reedy, unstable laugh. _"Cut through me? Can you cut through the dead?"_

"We'll try our hardest," Ren growled.

Banette half-laughed, half-shrieked, and flung out its hands. An entire score of Banette rippled outwards, then another, and another. Sixty Banette filled the air, all of them chanting and humming as they gathered energy into Shadow Balls. Ren could create copies like that too, but she just used them as illusions, moving so fast that her enemies thought she was in multiple places at once. Floyd was reasonably sure that the Banette's copies could hurt them as well as the original, and if that wasn't bad enough, the piles and piles of bones began to shiver, the blue light pulsing.

" _KILL THEM!"_ shrieked the chorus of Banettes.

"Defend yourselves!" Floyd shouted.

He didn't wait for the Banettes to come to him, instead rushing forward with Blitz at his side, heading for the first pile of bones that began to rise from their resting places.

###

Tabby was torn between ordering Blitz to break dance and allowing him to charge in with Floyd. She watched the bones start to knit themselves back together in their piles, and even as Floyd sprinted forward, one of the Pokemon skeletons, a Magmar maybe, lurched forward with more force than she would have thought possible. Floyd's lightsaber snapped up and seared through the bones with absolute ease, his next strike flickering towards its head. It rolled away, the edges smoking and the beak clattering at the blue light in its empty sockets went dark. Four more skeletons took their place though, and Floyd and Blitz crashed into them.

If Tabby ordered Blitz to break dance now, he'd likely burn them all to a crisp in the tight space.

"I can't get a good shot on any of them," Vanessa said. "If I use any Earth magic, I might bring the whole… _get down!"_

She lunged over and tackled Tabby behind a stone plinth just as a hail of Shadow Balls screamed towards them and pulverized the ground on which they stood. Banette howled with glee and flung more, Tabby working a ward and placing it around them. The energy slammed into the ward hard enough to make it flicker, and Tabby had to concentrate as to not let it fall.

The Banette was strong, very strong. But if Ren could get in close, she…

"Ren?" Tabby asked as Ren sat down, her nose wiggling. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Shut up and give me a minute," she replied, eyes darting back and forth.

Tabby shared a quick look with Vanessa, who shrugged, just as confused as she was.

Looking at Vanessa let Tabby see the bones coming from behind them out of the corner of her eye.

Arms trembling, Tabby raised one hand and loosed a gout of flame on the first skeleton. It was the Scizor, its iron claws reaching to tear out her throat. The flames licked over its remains and incinerated it in no time, its four-times weakness to Fire sending it to the grave again. But the trainer had come back with the rest of its Pokemon, clattering forward in silence.

"Vance, Metal Claw!" Vanessa shouted, slapping her palms against the tile of the tomb. Tabby felt the flicker of Earth magic ripple from her palms, and even that was strong. Vanessa was incredibly accomplished with Earth magic, and it definitely showed. The ripples flowed over the ground near the skeletons, expertly flowing around the pillars keeping the tons of stone from crashing over their heads and folding the tile the skeletons clattered upon. The ground snapped like cloth in the wind. As they lost their footing, Vance blurred forward, incredibly fast for a Pokemon his size and raked his silver-glowing claws across bone, shredding them like a scythe through wheat. But no matter how many times his claws cut them down, they rose again.

"Burn them!" Vanessa shouted, sending another pulse of magic through the ground. The skeletons tumbled to the ground in a heap, and Tabby thrust her hands out, a boiling wave of flame rolling over the skeletons. They crumbled into dust, shivered, and did not rise again.

"Blitz!" Tabby yelled, crossing her arms and reinforcing the ward as a Shadow Ball hurtled towards her face. It exploded in a shower of sparks, and Tabby moved behind a plinth, raising her voice again. "Burn the skeletons! Burn the—"

A Shadow Ball fell from the heavens and exploded right in front of her, Ghost energy crawling over her flesh and howling with bloodlust, sending her flying back into the wall. Tabby tasted blood in her mouth and tried to rise, dizzied. She saw triple of everything, saw Vanessa rush to her side as Vance covered their back, slashing at skeletons that all but leapt at them to kill her. Blitz roared with fury and cut down three more skeletons with his Fire Punches, their ribcages and heads crumbling at the sheer might from the pyre on his head. Floyd fought like a demon, cutting down skeleton after skeleton and shearing through the multitude of Shadow Balls that flew at him…but it was over. Banette continued to multiply, Bltiz flinging Embers at the copies when he could, but they just regrew again. He was clipped twice, staggering as he wiped blood from his mouth and attacked again. Another Shadow Ball wrecked the edge of the plinth they hid behind, the shards opening a cut across Vanessa's forehead.

If Ren would have done something, maybe they would have had a chance.

Right as the dark thoughts entered her head, the Absol surged forward, sprinting forward in a white blur that leapt atop some of the coffins and plinths as gracefully as a dancer. Banette must have sensed the danger, because it let out another one of its reedy giggles and focused its firepower on the approaching Absol. Ren was much too fast, darting between Shadow Ball after Shadow Ball with a purpose like…

Like she knew which Banette was the real one.

Banette must have come to the same conclusion, because the laughing stopped and a killing haze radiated from its leathery body, rushing forward to devour Ren where she stood.

Tabby swore she could see the smug smirk of Ren's face as the shadow enveloped her…and she disappeared.

" _What?"_ Banette exclaimed, all of the copies looking around wildly.

Then the bones collapsed, the copies disappeared, and Ren landed facing away from Banette, triumphant. A ripple of negative energy slashed through Banette, and it landed on the ground with a squawk of pain and shock.

"Oldest trick in the book," Ren said, the Night Slash fading away. "Do everyone a favor and stay dead, won't you?"

A Fire Blast glimmered behind her fangs, and the Banette gave one last shriek before Ren blasted it to a smoking char where it lay.

Floyd let out a sigh and sheathed his lightsaber, his mask unfolding. "Is everyone alright?"

Vanessa grimaced as Tabby managed to close the cut that smiled down her forehead. "We're fine," she grunted. "Just a little banged up."

"How's your head?" Ren asked, loping over.

"Been worse," Tabby said, letting the magic fade. The cut hadn't even left a scar. "I wouldn't say no to some rest though."

"I wouldn't either, but Snowpoint might not have time," Floyd said. "Is everyone well enough to stand? To walk?" They all nodded, much to Tabby's dismay. "Alright. Then we need to keep moving. Vanessa, how does our path ahead look?"

She pressed her hands to the tile, hot from the fire and fighting. "Deep. The ruins go underneath for…well, a long time. We've got a while."

Floyd nodded, making up his mind. "Then let's go. There's no time to waste."

They'd barely survived, and it was only the first hour. What hells could exist deeper below?

Tabby shuddered, not ready to find out.


	23. Chapter 21: Into the Depths

**Chapter 21: Into the Depths**

Throughout the rest of the day, Ren was involved in three more big fights as they continued on their little stroll through an ancient, haunted temple with layers upon layers of underground catacombs.

Really, she'd have to remember to enter Sinnoh into TripAdvisor. The food was okay, but the destinations were atrocious.

But she digressed.

The first fight was almost immediately after the first one they'd so narrowly come out of. Banette apparently had quite the posse lurking behind her in the passages that followed, and naturally, people just _had_ to somehow slip past her only to die in there too. Luckily they were just a motley crew of Haunter and a ringleader Gengar. Either they weren't too bright or just didn't give it 100-percent, because they were dispatched without too much trouble. The bones crumbled back into their resting places as the last of the Ghost types was dispersed, and the group pressed on. The next two fights were carbon-copies of the first, lots of Ghost type Pokemon crowding in one place raising the dead to attack while they flung attack after attack at Ren and her friends. The Ghosts were fierce competition…but then, so were her friends.

Ren knew she was a little short of a walking goddess, but it seemed these fools underground had forgotten that, or maybe just hadn't learned the lesson yet. She was the most effective by far in defeating their enemies, Night Slashes ripping from her horn and Dark Pulses licking up and down the ghastly remains of the undead and dispelling the cold magic that kept them walking. Blitz and Vance were incredibly skilled combatants, and definitely not someone she'd want to fight in a cramped space like this where one wasn't able to jump around as much. Blitz, with a little bit of strategic help from Tabby, now rolled his flames up the walls to envelop the passages ahead with fire, forcing their enemies to crowd in the center where Ren could pick them off without much trouble with Dark Pulses at her leisure. Vanessa and Tabby were very useful in the fact that they provided support more than anything. When Ren started throwing Dark Pulses around, they warded their Pokemon and themselves from the effects, then struck back when Ren needed to take a breather. They were a fearsome team, Fire and Earth working together along with their various skills in the other types of magic.

Floyd was just a demon in his own right. Ren was very surprised that the Ghost type Pokemon didn't go back to being dead when they saw that crimson light ignite in front of them. None of the shambling bags of bones could even touch him with their dead hands, as they were relieved of that and more whenever Floyd flicked the blade near them. The years of training back on their Earth certainly had come in handy now.

They continued far into the catacombs, the terrain turning from tile to raw earth, and then to something new.

Ice.

They stepped out of an earthen path into an underground sea of ice, the stuff glittering from a light that seemed to be cast from everywhere up above. It was a pale bluish color, sparkling as opposed to the giant clusters of rocks that littered its surface. High above, colonies of Zubat and Golbat rested with their wings about their bodies, fast asleep in the light. Despite being hundreds of feet underground, the air smelled as fresh and as crisp as it did on a winter's morning, and just looking out onto the vast cavern made Ren think of an iceberg that had been shifting for hundreds of thousands of years, ready to slide apart with a mere touch.

"Anything, Vanessa?" Floyd asked.

"Nothing," she confirmed. "Just…a lot of ice."

"Is there anything underneath?" Tabby asked, warily tapping the edge with her foot.

"No, just solid rock and earth from what I can tell," Vanessa said, frowning. "You might want to put Blitz away though, just in case. It's like an ocean farther beyond." She was right; Ren couldn't see the end of the cavern, if it was even really in front of her. "I can't tell exactly what's waiting for us out there, but I will as we get closer."

"That'll have to be good enough," Floyd said, rubbing his jaw. "We can stay here for the night. We've been traveling all day, and there's no way we can keep ourselves alive if we're exhausted. Let's make camp."

The median between their cozy cavern and the expanse of ice was enough that they could comfortably have their own little spot in their camp. Bedrolls were rolled out, food was passed around and water was consumed like the finest of wines as the entire group sat down and rested for the first time in many, many hours. Ren was no stranger to pulling long days, but even her stamina was starting to run dry.

That, or she was going soft.

"Disgusting," Ren muttered, shaking her head.

"What is?" Floyd asked, sipping from his water bottle.

"Me," Ren replied. "I'm getting soft."

Floyd grunted. "We really are doomed then, if the Queen of Sass is getting tired. Showing weakness around people that aren't me?" He tsked. "You're right. Maybe we need to get you back to Nurse Joy."

Ren laughed, bumping his arm with her head. "Impudent man." Her smile faded as he stood up. "Where are you going?"

"To have a look around," Floyd said. "I need less rest than everyone else. I'll scout ahead for a few minutes then come back."

"I'll come with you," Vanessa said before Ren could. "If you run into any traps, there's a chance I might be able to break or disarm them so we won't worry about them later."

"Sounds good," Floyd said with a nod. "Ren, Tabby, Blitz, keep watch over the camp. We'll be back."

They set off from camp and onto the lake of ice, disappearing soon after.

Leaving Ren alone with Tabby.

"How's your head?" Ren asked, trying to make conversation.

"Fine," Tabby said softly, rubbing the back. "Magi heal faster than regular humans, so I'll just have a little headache until I fall asleep." She frowned. "That thing with Banette back there, with the copies and everything. How'd you do that?"

Ren shrugged, amused at Tabby's expression from the human gesture. "Odor Sleuth. Couldn't miss that stench. It was like…a dusty doll mixed with the smell of rotting meat."

"Right. Well even though it goes without saying, thanks for saving my life."

"Mm," Ren replied. "So…what was that all about upstairs on the first floor? Boss is too nice to ask, and so is Vanessa I'm guessing."

"But you're not?" Tabby asked, smiling.

"No. If you're about to have a nervous breakdown, I need to know so that I can be ready to tear out your throat if you try and hurt Floyd."

Blitz arched his eyebrows at that, the pyre atop his head flickering as he got fired up, but Tabby put a placating hand on his shoulder, calming him. "No, she's right, buddy. It was just…the weirdest feeling." She put a finger to her lips. "Have you ever experienced deja vu?" Ren nodded. "It was like that but…Ren, I've never been here before. I didn't even know that the statue was in the hall."

"That's what deja vu is," Ren said. "Feeling like you've seen something before even though that's impossible."

"But it _could_ be possible," Tabby said, throwing up her hands in frustration. "We live in a world where sentient beings can literally see into the future and predict to a millisecond when and where something will die. Something like deja vu…that's not unexplainable, not to me."

Ren sighed. "Okay, so then you think you've been here…somehow. Is that right?"

Tabby nodded, her green eyes dreamy in the light of Blitz' fire. "When I looked at that statue, I immediately thought that we were going to be attacked. Like…like somehow I _knew_ something bad had happened right there."

"Maybe it's all the dead bodies that were below us," Ren suggested. "You could've been feeling that."

"No, I know what Pokemon auras feel like." She grasped for the words. "Whenever you or Blitz or Floyd or anyone use power, I can sense it and I know that its magic…er, in Floyd's case…well I don't really know, but you get my point. This was…different." The witch lapsed into silence, hugging her knees to her chest. Ren knew she'd drive herself crazy trying to figure out why it caused her to feel that way.

Fortunately, she had a good change of subject.

"Well, deja vu aside," Ren said, "let's talk about the here and now. Or, uh, maybe the future."

"What do you mean?"

"When are you gonna try your luck with Boss?"

The effect Ren's words had on Tabby was nothing short of hysterical. Her face from the top of the bridge of her nose down to her cheeks turned a burning, beet red, and her mouth fell open comically. To her enhanced nose, Ren smelled the sweat of embarrassment and the heat that broke out beneath her clothes. "I…how…what do you…?" she stammered.

"Oh, don't give me that mansy-pansy bullshit," Ren said, waving a paw aimlessly. "You've got a thing for him."

Tabby closed her mouth and looked away, still embarrassed. "Has…how do you know?"

"Oh no, no, no," Ren said, walking closer to her. "What were you going to say?"

Tabby's lips were pursed now, and she still refused to look Ren in the eye when she spoke again. "Has he…said anything?"

"He's an attractive man. You're an attractive woman. And you both _definitely_ need to get laid." Ren shrugged. "Can't make it anymore clear than that, can I?"

Tabby frowned and looked at her. "You can make that hundreds of times more clear."

Ren sighed. "Boss is…different, that's for sure. I mean, I'm gonna be there for him until I end up like some of those skeletons up there, that's for damn certain. I owe the man my life and a hundred times more than that. But…I'm not a human like you. We love each other but not that way." She felt herself frown. "Boss hasn't really…had someone he's cared about like that since Zoe died."

"No one?" Tabby asked softly.

Ren had been around humans long enough to hear the faint snatches of hope in Tabby's voice.

"No one," Ren confirmed. "He's been with a woman before, knows all about that good stuff, but it's been a while since he's really…meshed with someone like he does with you." She scoffed. "It's certainly enough to get him to do that dorky mating dance you guys did last night."

Tabby was silent for a while, and Ren turned her attention back to the entrance to the lake of ice, watching and listening for the footsteps of her friends.

"What do I do?" Tabby asked after a while. "I've never…I've never had anyone like that either. I don't even really know where to start."

Ren couldn't believe that she, an Absol, was going to have to teach two humans how to flirt with each other.

"Show some interest," Ren said finally. "I mean, you don't have to, you know, jump his bones tonight, but maybe try to compliment him or something. And even though he doesn't seem like it, Boss is a toucher. Don't jump his bones but… I don't know, bump into his arm or something once and a while. Be girly. And, uh…be patient." She smirked. "Boss is definitely a slow starter, but he doesn't believe in doing things halfway…if you get what I mean."

Tabby blushed a little harder, mumbled something about going to sleep, then curled up in her bedroll, still wide awake.

Ren had been alive for forty years, longer than nearly anyone here besides Vanessa, Vance, and maybe Blitz, and she was still baffled at how humans and their relationships worked. The closest she could come to understanding was her absolute dedication and love for Floyd, but the way she caught Floyd staring at Zoe's picture sometimes… _that_ kind of love had to be deeper and stronger than even the most powerful magic.

And maybe with her help, both Floyd and Tabby could get a little taste of that…in time anyways. They wouldn't if they died in here because she was playing matchmaker instead of keeping guard.

Ren chuckled at herself and settled down to wait.

###

"Come out! Come out and face us, cowards! You think to sit yourself inside your precious Sanctuary while the rest of Snowpoint struggles? Come out and face us! Submit a worthy warrior to the challenge! Come out!"

Nerevor stroked his beard thoughtfully, watching the man pace back and forth as he bellowed threats to beyond the giant Quarter ward.

"This," he said at last, "may be a problem."

The man had been shouting for the better part of an hour now, taking breaks only to peer up to see if anyone approached the ward. He'd started early the day after Tabby and the others had left for Snowpoint Temple.

His friends had shown up soon after.

Just as he'd assumed she would, Olivier had capitalized on their seclusion. The wards held such titanic power that nothing could break through, not even a man with no magic. The wards would knock him upon his behind at worst, and provide an experience akin to walking into a wall at the very least. A team of magi could force a break into the wards, but it would cost all of their power and concentration. In the meantime, the guards watching the edge of the protected area would pound them with spells, or send their Pokemon to force the breach closed. Maybe a few would be wounded, but far more of Olivier's men would be hurt or killed.

So instead, she fortified her position. The day Tabby had left, trucks began to roll in, carrying equipment and men and Pokemon, depositing them out onto the front lines as camps were built and shelters were taken in the abandoned buildings they'd been forced to cut off from the other half of the Northern Quarter.

By nightfall, Nerevor was absolutely sure that almost half or more of Olivier's armed forces, including the Liberated and their Pokemon, had gathered outside of the ward.

"How is this bad?" Zero asked, arms crossed. "Let him shout his head off if he wants. Hell, maybe I'll go down there and throw him a water bottle or somethin' when he gets tired."

"It's bad," Griffin answered, "because they know we can't beat their challenger."

One of Olivier's Elite Guards stood motionless behind the herald, his voice hoarse from threats. The Guard hadn't moved since he got there, standing as still as a statue. Tabby had mentioned that the Elite Guard had been undead in the armor, and he wouldn't be hindered by something as mortal as the cold.

"Mr. Floyd was the only person capable of defeating the Elite Guard in combat," Nerevor said. "Even if we knew how to crack that armor of theirs, it would be suicide to send an unskilled witch or wizard to fight it. None of the non-magical combatants would be able to lay a scratch on it either, and I doubt that Olivier would abstain from killing Pokemon if it meant setting us back."

Zero frowned. "Soooo, it's a test then?"

Nerevor nodded. "To see if Mr. Floyd is still here. And I believe Olivier may already know that he is not."

"What do we do?" Griffin asked.

"Tell the men guarding the ward not to engage for any reason," Nerevor said. "Zero is correct; let him shout until the sun explodes if he wants to. If any of the Liberated attempt to breach the ward, they are to be met with extreme force." Griffin nodded and began speaking into a radio, while Nerevor fell into deep thought.

Zero was right on all points, actually. Olivier gained absolutely nothing from sending a herald forth, especially since she likely already knew that Floyd was not here. Why have the men make such a big show, then? Better to save their strength for the inevitable fighting than to waste it on empty threats. The woman was many things, but she did not waste valuable assets. Even if non-magical, a bullet to the brain could kill just about anything, and it didn't take years of magical training to pull a trigger.

Something was missing.

"Griffin," Nerevor said, "do the watchtowers see anything unusual about the enemy's army? Any more Elite Guards roaming about?"

Griffin checked over the radio, and all of the watchtowers sent back a negative. "Nothing. Why?"

"There is only one Elite Guard that we can see. We know that Olivier likely has them in full force, and if need be, can dispatch them in vast quantities at a time. So why, then, is there only the one among all of the men before us?"

"Maybe they're hiding out in the buildings from the cold," Zero suggested, though he sounded doubtful.

Griffin shook his head. "The one outside now hasn't moved for an hour. That thing is undead, and there'd be no point hiding them anyway. It's not like they don't stick out, the armor's pure white metal.

"So then," Nerevor said. "Where are the rest?"

Silence answered him.

"Could be that they're guarding Central Tower," Griffin said. "Olivier won't leave herself alone while the army is this far up north. If we pushed past…"

"But that's just it," Nerevor said. "If we were to open these wards and start the battle here and now, it is likely we could storm forth and crush Olivier's forces. The Elite Guard combined with the Liberated would extract a heavy toll in blood, but by Arceus, we could do it. Olivier may be insane, but she has not ruled Snowpoint for so long by being careless."

"That still doesn't answer where the Elites are, Nev," Zero said. "Even if they're not here, _some_ of them have to be with Olivier."

"And I believe you," Nerevor replied. "Griffin, of the entire city, what parts do Olivier's forces likely control?"

"The West, East, and Southern Quarters, as well as Central and the part in front of us, obviously."

"A large number of passing scouts, Magnezone or any other Flying types passing overhead…those would have caught our attention," Nerevor said. "But if Olivier used the Eastern Docks to send out a large force…"

Griffin frowned, then got the idea as well. "She could sneak right around the ward. It doesn't extend to the water, not even close."

"That doesn't help them though," Zero said. "Let 'em sneak around. They're not going to get through there either. The mountain pass is in the way, and the ocean doesn't come close to…"

All at once, the plan locked in around the three men.

"Olivier knows they went to Snowpoint Temple," Griffin said. "The sea runs right up to the mountainside, and they could scale it without fear of death because they're undead."

"And if she knows," Zero said, "then they could be setting a trap for them right now."

"She put her army right in front of us so we wouldn't think that it's too quiet," Griffin said. "Nerevor, we have to do something. If they survive, they'll be walking into an ambush when they come back."

"I can go," Zero said immediately. "I'll get there fast and—"

"No, Zero," Nerevor said, Griffin nodding with him. "You are one of the strongest trainers we have here, to say nothing of the morale that comes with a Gym Leader standing with us. I need you here." He nodded, though he didn't look happy about it. "Do not worry, my friends. I believe I know someone who can and will help us, and quickly at that."

"Really?" Zero asked. "Who?"

###

The next day, Floyd took the lead as they made their way onto the valley of ice. He and Vanessa had charted a path halfway across the ice, marking it with slashes from his lightsaber. Vanessa's earlier guess that nothing dangerous rested beneath the ice held true, and though the ice crackled and shifted beneath their weight, Vanessa assured them any danger would come from above, not below.

Ren disliked traveling on the surface of the ice, so Floyd had put her back into her Pokeball, the others doing the same. The three of them made their way on in relative silence, Floyd stressing not talking unless necessary. Sound could travel a long way off of the echo-prone cavern walls, and he didn't want to rouse a grumpy Pokemon unless necessary.

"This is where we ended off yesterday," Floyd said, tapping an X he'd carved into the ground with his foot. "From here on out is unknown territory." He peered into the distance. "From what I can tell though, it all looks the same."

"No," Vanessa said at once, her eyes closed. "There are…holes up ahead. I should have felt it last night." She frowned. "I definitely should have. I think…I think they're new."

Tabby swallowed. "So…something made holes in the ice last night?"

Floyd frowned. He'd taken the first watch, and something like that would have made tremendous amounts of noise to break through ice as solid as this.

"Maybe," Vanessa said. "We'll see as we get closer. Keep your guard up."

"I wonder," Floyd said, "if there is a lake of molten steel underneath us." Tabby and Vanessa gave him a dubious look, so he continued. "We just came from winding caverns of stone and rock. Regirock. Now we find ourselves on a seemingly never-ending lake of ice. Regice. I'm guessing the traps and danger will be in Registeel's domain of the temple."

Vanessa nodded. "That sounds about right." She looked forward and began to walk. "From what Nerevor said, I don't think he ever came as far in as we have. He might have stopped way back in the caverns. Arceus knows what he was looking for, but it's likely he found it." Floyd agreed with that. There had been trapped rooms, opened chests, and seemingly valuable artifacts scattered all through out the cavernous part of the temple.

They made their way forward for almost twenty minutes before they came across what Vanessa had been talking about. It was like a giant minefield with holes instead of mines, easily twenty feet across and yawning into a void that Floyd could not see down. He fired a small energy blast down one of the holes and didn't see it land.

"A bottomless pit?" Tabby asked.

"It feels like it," Vanessa replied. "But look at the boulders." She nodded to the piles of boulders that had been strewn haphazardly across the icy lake. All of them looked as though they could fit down the holes with ease if they moved them.

"A puzzle, then," Floyd said.

"But what's the answer?" Vanessa asked.

Tabby frowned. "Vanessa, how many holes are there?"

"More than I can count, really. Why?"

"An even or odd amount, then? Is there a center hole?"

Vanessa pressed her palms to the ground, closing her eyes. "…yes. There is." She straightened up and pointed. "Follow me." They found it in no time, and it looked no different than the other holes in the ground, the void still staring up at them from below.

"You have an idea?" Floyd asked.

Her green eyes roved over the cave, then to him. "That thing you said about the different sections relating to the Regis was absolute genius."

"Why?" Floyd asked.

"I have a hunch," Tabby said. "Can you fly me to the roof of the cave?"

Floyd shrugged and wrapped an arm around her waist. He let his mechanical flight system do the work, saving the bulk of his power in reserve for if he needed it, and shot towards the ceiling. Tabby looked at ease in his arms, though she did latch onto his arm with an iron grip as she leaned over and peered at the ground, the holes much smaller from up here. It was a grid, maybe thirty holes in total. There were certainly enough rocks to fit in all of them, but Floyd didn't know what Tabby was planning.

"Okay…okay, I think it'll work," Tabby said after a while, though Floyd didn't know what she was doing. "Alright, we're good. Let's head back down." They touched down on the ice and Tabby immediately sought out some boulders. "Vanessa, I need you to move some of these boulders and drop them in the holes I tell you to. One in the center, one above and below the center hole, then one in the two holes on the right and left sides of the center."

She didn't question why, and released Vance to help her out. Together, her and the Excadrill moved through the boulders like clockwork, Floyd and Tabby helping out where they could. Even with their skill, it took nearly an hour to work through them all, but they got it done. The strain of the magic eventually got to Vanessa, and while the woman was certainly hardy, she was definitely getting older, and had to take a break. Floyd and Vance lugged the last boulder into place, shoving it into its hole and stepping back as it fell into the void.

He didn't know what to expect exactly, but he was surprised to say the least when a vibrant, pulsating yellow light flared from the depths of the holes they'd pushed the boulders in. A sound like a barely-coherent transmission buzzed in Floyd's ears and in his head, the lights blinking to the sounds.

_RE-GI-ICE._

_**RE-GI-ICE.** _

Something boomed in the distance, sending a shock wave through the ice and nearly knocking everyone off of their feet. The light died out and the voice faded from their heads as quickly as it had come, a wave of disorientation passing over Floyd as the presence retreated.

"Is everyone okay?" Floyd asked as he approached Tabby and Vanessa.

"Fine," Tabby said. "That was…weird to say the least. But it worked!"

"What was that?" Floyd asked.

"I figured that since this was Regice's domain, we'd arrange the rocks into the holes like the dots on its face," Tabby said. "I remembered it from the first floor."

"That was clever," Vanessa said, managing to stand again with a deep breath. "I wouldn't have figured that out for a while if I was here by myself…though I suppose it helps when you can fly."

"Well done," Floyd said with a nod.

And to his pleasant surprise, Tabby gave him a beaming, though bashful smile. "We make a pretty good team."

Floyd returned the smile. "That we do." His smile faded as he looked to Vanessa. "What's up ahead?"

"A blank spot in the wall," Vanessa said. "I'm guessing a door or something must have opened."

"Then that's our destination," Floyd said.

As soon as they'd drank some more water and checked their supplies, they crossed the icy lake, leaving Regice's domain behind.

The cavern beyond was much like the domains of Regirock, winding slopes and passages that likely led off to trapped rooms and dead ends. Ice lined the walls that seemed more like crystals and less like ice, the blue light overhead shimmering off of their surfaces and reflecting down to the passage to light the way. There was a pressure here that Floyd hadn't felt yet, something that made him almost positive that someone or something was watching him. More than a few times they accidentally disturbed the rest of a family of Golbat, who shrieked and beat them over the head with their wings or spat gobs of sizzling poison until a few choice blasts of fire, fists of earth, or swings of a lightsaber drove them away.

"I can't believe we're still going deeper underground," Tabby said after an hour or so of near silence. "This entire cavern could collapse and you probably wouldn't even know it if you were on the surface."

"That's the spirit," Ren grumbled, glancing up to the gloomy ceiling of the cave.

"What's wrong?" Floyd asked.

"My instincts are telling me that I should be _on_ the mountains, not underneath them," Ren said. "I'm no pussy, but I do _not_ like going underground."

"Infernape," Blitz agreed, eyeing the ceiling now as if it would fall thanks to Tabby.

"Cadrill!" Vance cried from the front.

Vanessa smiled and turned around. "Vance disagrees, I think. Though I know where you're coming from. I'm no stranger to the earth, but to anyone untrained in how it feels…it can be discomforting."

"When we win this war," Tabby started, "maybe I'll have to look into Earth magic. Give that a try for a while."

"I could teach you a thing or two," Vanessa said, staring at the path ahead and getting lost in thought. "All of you…before we get any deeper in, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you."

"Thank us?" Ren asked.

"You've given me hope for the first time in a long time that we can finally bring Snowpoint to an era of peace," Vanessa said, her voice as gentle as Floyd had ever heard it. "I haven't felt this way since before my husband was taken from me."

Both he and Tabby shared a look, but stayed silent as Vanessa continued to speak.

"Vance was my husband's name," Vanessa said. "We tried for children many times and were unable to conceive. We found Vance as a Drilbur, shivering out in the cold and near-death. He was just a Ground type then, so the cold was killing him faster than it would most." She let out a sad laugh. "Vance knew what the world was like out there and…he wanted me to have a piece of him with me if he were ever gone."

They stopped walking, Vance turning around nuzzling her arm with his pink-pointed nose.

"Vanessa," Tabby said, gingerly touching her arm.

"It's okay," she said. Floyd didn't see any tears, and it didn't look like she was going to cry. She looked…determined, if anything. "I promised at his grave that I would make it right. That…that his death wouldn't be in vain. And I was so worried before now that I would fail in that promise. That Olivier would keep us under her thumb forever. But we just plowed through Snowpoint Temple of all things like it was nothing. A swarm of Golbat was a minor inconvenience to us just now." Her gray eyes shone with hope as she looked up at the two of them. "Thank you…my friends."

Floyd smiled. "You're welcome."

"We've got your back," Tabby said. "But this isn't over yet. Vance won't get what he's owed if we don't get to the end of these caves."

"Yes," Vanessa said, turning back around. "Yes, you're right. Vance, let's go. We've got a promise to keep."

"Excadrill!" They trailed a little farther ahead than he and Tabby, their morale riding high.

"I meant what I said, you know." Floyd looked to his right and saw Tabby smiling at him. "We do make a good team."

"I'm aware. I'm starting to be able to tell what you're thinking from a glance."

"That'll come in handy," Tabby said. "I'm…I'm glad we're giving Vanessa hope."

"So am I," Floyd said. "And if she has hope now, think of all the other people who have new hope thanks to us too."

"Then let's not disappoint them," Tabby said, a new air of confidence stirring around her.

"Bleh," Ren said. "All this optimism is going to make me puke. Surprised you're not already, Boss."

Floyd shrugged. "Hope is a good thing. And besides," he glanced at Tabby again, who gave him another one of her lovely smiles, "maybe someone is starting to rub off on me."

And maybe, a little voice whispered in his mind, that hope that soared in his chest wasn't just about the war.

Perhaps it was about something else.

Floyd thought on that long and hard as they ventured further into the icy cavern, lapsing into silence once again.


	24. Chapter 22: A Sealed Chamber

**Chapter 22: A Sealed Chamber**

Regice's glittering cave of crystal and ice was a long trek to say the very least, but with Vanessa's help to navigate the various twists and turns, they made good time. Floyd probably would have walked the rest of the way down if they'd needed too, and Ren would have followed him until her legs gave out. That strong sense of self and morale gave their team the boost of confidence they needed to walk a few extra miles.

And it also made Tabby's heart hammer against her chest like a Spoink jumping around to stay alive.

" _When are you going to try your luck with Boss?"_

There was no reason an Absol should be so lippy, and even then, shouldn't be able to see through people like that.

A small part of her was grateful though. She hadn't been lying to Ren when she'd said she'd never had anyone like that before. But that was about the men here in Snowpoint. She'd seen cute guys before, but she'd been focused on getting through school, then running errands back and forth to try and save the friggin' city. There had just never been time. The guards, she darkly mused, had been more than willing to make some of her lonelier nights not so lonely. She shuddered and continued on in deep thought.

What if she…did? What if when it was all said and done…?

She felt heat rise in her face, felt the blush cross the bridge of her nose.

Maybe she would talk to Floyd…she'd certainly thank him for all of his help of course. She owed him that much. She'd give him everything that he needed to continue on with his journey…

The journey that would take him home…

Home to a different universe…where she might never see him again.

That filled Tabby with such an extreme sadness that she refused to think about it lest it get her killed in the dangerous underground ruins. And lucky she did too, as a Golbat swooped down from the ceiling and towards her, jaws yawning wide to rip a chunk of flesh or two from her head. Tabby flicked her hand idly and a gout of flame licked up the Golbat's wing, sending it careening off course and into a wall, where it screeched as it flew back behind them into the cave system.

"Those things never give up," Tabby muttered.

"I'm starting to notice that," Floyd said, glancing up at the ceiling. "We might need to stop soon. We've been fighting the damn things all day, and the Pokemon are starting to get tired."

Tabby smiled. "Why, Floyd, you sound a bit tired yourself."

Floyd snorted. "As much I don't want to be. I'm starting to share Ren's sentiment about being underground for so long. I've explored my fair share of ruins, and they all start to feel the same after a while." He sighed and shook his head. "But if we don't stop now, I'll keep pushing on until someone," he ruffled the top of Ren's head, the Absol butting his leg in retaliation, "gives out on me. Vanessa, let's stop here for the night."

They made camp like they had the day before, and tonight Floyd wanted a fire to ward off any Pokemon with not-so bright ideas. Vanessa announced that she could take first watch and promptly fell asleep, Vance snorting and settling down next to his trainer in the dirt. Ren curled up on Floyd's sleeping bag in a ball and stopped moving, and Blitz was out cold. That left Floyd and Tabby by themselves, but strangely, she didn't feel too tired yet.

"I can take first watch if you want," Tabby suggested after they'd sat in silence for a while. "Get some rest."

Floyd waved a hand. "It's alright. I don't need as much sleep as everyone else." He let out a sigh and placed his head atop his hands. "Remember earlier, when we were talking about hope?"

Tabby blinked. "Yeah? What about it?"

"I'm starting to lose mine."

Tabby bit her lip. "About the war?" she asked hesitantly.

"No, not about that. About going home."

Tabby pursed her lips, then got up and sat down next to Floyd on his bag. "What's on your mind?"

"No leads on what did this to us, where we came out from, how to get back there, and if a way back even exists," Floyd said, waving with a hand. "I was half-hoping that in an ancient ruin older than most of the cities on this continent, we'd find some kind of answers."

"Well, we aren't at the bottom floor yet," Tabby said. "And there's always the chance that we'll find something there. You can't give up yet." She tried for another smile, bumping his arm with her shoulder. "And there has to be a way back, because I made a promise I intend on keeping."

Floyd snickered, then looked at her. "If only it were that easy."

"Yeah, if only," Tabby said. They shared a quiet laugh over the flickering flames, the smell of smoke putting Tabby's mind oddly at ease. She'd never truly been camping before, but this was probably what it felt like…sans the thousands of tons of rock overhead. "Floyd, will you really leave? After this is all said and done?"

"That's the plan." Tabby fell silent, something that Floyd picked up on. "You're not happy about that?"

"No."

"Why?"

Suddenly, she was absolutely sure that Ren's eyes were on her back, and that she'd been awake the entire time. _Do something,_ her presence seemed to shout at her.

"I…I'm going to miss you," Tabby blurted out. "I don't want you to leave. W-well I do, but…"

"I get it," Floyd said with a chuckle, patting her shoulder. "It's okay. I…I will miss you, too."

"If there's anything I can do for you," Tabby said, picking at some imaginary dust on her pants, "anything at all once we beat Olivier…please don't hesitate to ask. I owe you my life, like, a hundred times over."

"Could you create me a portal back to my universe?"

Tabby elbowed him in the side, causing him to laugh. "You're impossible."

"Yeah, Ren's been rubbing off on me." He shook his head and looked at her again, his laughter fading. "But in all seriousness, thank you. I owe you as much you think you owe me. But we can only collect debts if we're alive to beat Olivier in the first place. For that you'll need your rest. Go get some, and I'll wake you in a few hours."

Tabby hesitated. Maybe _this_ was it. They weren't so far away from each other…in fact, they were close. If she just leaned forward a bit, closed her eyes…what would Floyd do? She wanted to find out. She wanted to see if he'd be daring enough to steal a kiss…and then see if he was daring enough to steal another one.

He'd probably push her away, insist that she was kind but that she deserved someone that wasn't him. Yes, that sadly sounded like Floyd. But…but what if he didn't?

Tabby's confidence peaked, and just as she braced herself to be welcomed or rejected and leaned forward, the chittering sounds of a hundred Zubats roared from behind them in the cave. The two of them flinched as they glanced overhead, the musty smell of the Bat Pokemon overpowering their noses as they rushed overhead and zipped further down underground.

"That didn't look good," Floyd said as the last of the Pokemon swooped down into the cave system.

Tabby nodded. "I think something scared them."

"Go to sleep, now," Floyd said, though his tone was still light. "I need you and Vanessa as strong as we can possibly manage for tomorrow. If something comes, I will wake you."

Disappointed, Tabby nodded. "Alright. Good night, Floyd."

Floyd said his good night and stepped away from the fire a little, watching over the camp intently as Tabby snuggled into her bedroll and into a deep sleep. She quickly forgot her disappointment and loneliness and soon focused on getting as good of a rest as possible. As though it had only been five minutes, Floyd woke her up for her shift, and she kept guard until it was Vanessa's turn.

Nothing bothered them.

###

The next morning, they came to the end of the crystallized caverns and immediately into the arms of another problem.

"I hope I'm not the only one that feels that," Ren said. "Yo, fire monkey. You feel how hot it is?"

"Infernape!"

"Thought so."

"Seems you were right," Tabby said, smiling at Floyd over the flashlight in her hand.

"Unfortunately," Floyd said, glancing into the passage ahead. "This is likely the last level before…whatever is waiting for us within the ruins. Everyone keep your guards up."

The cave had radiated with geothermal heat as was per usual this deep into the earth, but this heat was different. It was the boiling intensity that one felt on a street of asphalt in the warmest of summers, the kind that made the very air shimmer in the distance and drove men to dehydration in minutes. The cave turned from cool crystals, to rocks and dirt, then to brittle dust that kicked up around their boots as they walked.

Ash.

They walked for five minutes and then saw the first of the boiling magma. It was like an underground river of the stuff, a stagnant but somehow still-flowing river that was like the blood in the veins of the ruins. Floyd saw many Pokemon that he'd never seen before, all of them likely Fire or Rock types that bathed or lived in the molten rock. The smallest of them were little blobs of living magma that spewed embers from their mouths and onto their bigger counterparts. Vanessa and Tabby helped to fill in his Pokemon knowledge best they could; the blobs were Slugma and their parents were Magcargo. They also pointed out the various colonies of Heatmor that lingered near the magma's edges. Atop the magma's boiling surface floated large, jagged points of rock of some kind. At first Floyd had dismissed them, but Tabby had squinted at one from afar, then became visibly unnerved.

Floyd saw why immediately; the magma was flowing away from them, and the rocks were coming towards them.

"I think those are Turtonator," Vanessa said, wiping some sweat from her brow. Tabby had thrown up a Safeguard to prevent them being burned to a crisp, but the heat was still immense.

"Is that bad?" Floyd asked.

"Let's go around," Tabby said. _"Far_ around." Vanessa took her advice, and with Vance's help, raised stone platforms out from underneath the lake of molten steel. Tabby cooled them with short blasts of Icy Winds and they traveled across quickly, leaving the drudging Turtonator behind.

Twice they were attacked by Slugma and Magcargo eager to defend their turf. The Pokemon were horrendously slow, and Vance was devilishly fast for his size. Well-placed blasts of rock sent the Pokemon hurtling back into the molten steel from which they were born, and Vanessa shifted and folded the land beneath their sluggy bodies. The ash was quick to sift into the molten river, making it all too easy to avoid pursuers. Even with the aid of the Ground type Expert, it was hard, grueling work, and the heat made it no better. They ran out of their ample water in the first two hours, and all of Tabby's resources were diverted to maintaining the Safeguard and conjuring more water for them to drink. Eventually Vance and Ren had to be put away in their Pokeballs lest they wither and stumble into the river. Only Blitz seemed to be unaffected, and if anything, having fun. He happily splashed into the river from time to time, taking care to do it well away from the main group. Once, he had a lavaball fight with a stray Heatmor, who promptly lost when one of the lavaballs smacked Blitz between the eyes and caused him to pound the Heatmor into the wall with Close Combat.

But eventually they bore the worst and came to the first man-made sets of danger in the ruins.

"Take five," Floyd said, glancing up. "I want to have a look at this."

"I should…" Vanessa began.

"Rest," Tabby interrupted, fanning her face and panting. "You're no good to anyone if you pass out."

Floyd let Tabby take care of Vanessa while he stepped forward, frowning. They'd come to a set of towering steel gates, its bars twisting around themselves and into a steel arch. Red rubies lines the edge of the arch, glimmering down at Floyd from the light of the lava behind him. Experimentally, Floyd took out his lightsaber and swung. The blade didn't so much as scratch the metal, simply rebounded with an odd clang. Arceus or Light or whichever could have ripped them down, but not much else could.

"Find anything?" Floyd turned to see Tabby walking towards him, still fanning her face. "Wow. Those are some big gates."

"Mm. My lightsaber won't open them." He smiled a little. "I don't suppose you have anymore brilliant ideas?"

"I wish," Tabby said with a huff. "I think it's your turn though. How are we getting through?"

"I guess we could dig under," Floyd said. "Or around."

Tabby shook her head. "If we do, there might be some kind of unbeatable defense behind the gate. The people who built this wanted people to go through it, not around it."

Floyd looked around the giant entryway. There had to be something around here that would open the gate. A mechanism, a lever, something…but there was nothing there. Nothing on the walls or the floor except for a number of strange divets and rivulets.

Come to think of it, the wall contained a number of them as well.

"Tabby," Floyd said, gesturing to the space around them, "this looks a lot like Braille."

Tabby blinked. "I guess so. Why does that matter?"

"I think it might form a message," Floyd said. "I don't suppose you can read it, though."

She shook her head. "I'd ask Vanessa, but she can just see into the ground. She can't read it just because…I don't think, anyway."

Floyd scowled at the gates. "Regirock's caverns were about the journey. Then there was Regice, who valued strength and wisdom to move those boulders into the correct places." He looked up at the glimmering rubies. "So then what does Registeel want?"

The rubies…there were twelve in total.

"I'll go get Vanessa," Tabby said. "Maybe she'll think of something."

"No, wait," Floyd said. "I'm going to try something, and if I'm hurt I might need you to heal me."

He looked down at the Braille on the floor. There was a small message that was scattered across the floor, and unless he missed his guess, seemed to be repeated on the walls as well, leading to the archway encrusted with the rubies. The center had the message written the biggest.

Floyd took a deep breath and reached for the power in his core, letting it rush to his fingertips and flood his being.

"Cover your eyes, Tabby," Floyd warned a moment before the sun on his chest all but exploded with white light.

_Flash._

The light spilled forth from Floyd's chest, swallowing the cavern, the archway, and the gate. Through his mask, Floyd saw all of the rubies activate at once, giving off a sinister red glow and chiming furiously even as the light from Floyd's sun died away. When it was clear to see again, the rubies were still shining with a fiery red light from within, and the gates began to swing open silently, as though they had just been made and greased yesterday.

"Voila," Floyd said with a flourish. "Let's go get Vanessa."

Tabby smiled and high-fived him as they walked back to check on their companion.

###

Nerevor walked among the screams of the wounded, sorrow upon his face as he did so. There hadn't been much fighting, not in the last 24 hours. No one had responded to the herald's request, so they had tried their luck and attempted to force a breach. As he suspected, the magi and regular men were repulsed or killed, but the Elite Guard had broken through the hole and swarmed among Nerevor's students, killing and maiming at random. In the end, a concentrated Psychic attack from himself, Kazam, and a few of the other accomplished magi had forced the Elite through the wards and prevented him from crossing back over.

It was only a matter of time before they tried that again.

He hoped that the messenger had gotten to Tabby and the others, or was at least close. He didn't dare send Kazam away, and the recent skirmish with the Guard had proven that.

"Hold still, please," a Nurse Joy was saying in the lobby. A man was writhing and thrashing in agony due to the pains of his wounds. The Elite Guard had relieved him of his right arm at the forearm, and it seemed that even through the cauterization, it had become infected. "Audino, please! I need that Blissey Egg!"

"Not to worry, Nurse Joy," Nerevor said, kneeling next to her. "I will do this one." He closed his eyes and placed his palms on the screaming man's forehead, straining as magic rushed from his fingertips and filled the man's body. In fact, he went a little overboard. A soothing aroma wafted through the lobby, muting some of the screaming and groaning and placating the rest. A green tinge filled Nerevor's eyes, and at last faded. The man beneath him had lapsed into a deep sleep, his arm wound no longer festering and angry.

"Thank you," Nurse Joy said, taking a deep breath. "That was…Aromatherapy, right? That certainly helped." She waved a hand to her other sisters and Pokemon helpers., who looked so tired, Nerevor was surprised they were still standing. "Nerevor, how are we supposed to keep up with all of these wounded? Every day it seems like more and more are getting hurt."

Nerevor shook his head, a shadow crossing his face. "I fear that the worst is yet to come, my dear. But you have done well to create such a robust field hospital. If you need anything, perhaps a few extra hands around the infirmary, you need but to ask."

She managed a laugh and wiped her hands on her dirty apron. "I'll keep that in mind." She bowed and walked off to a Chansey in the distance, likely for a little bit of a break herself.

"Nerevor, sir!" The old arch-mage turned and saw one of the younger initiates run into Sanctuary, doubling over and breathing hard with his hands on his knees.

"Timothy, isn't it?" Nerevor asked. "Is something the matter?"

He nodded frantically, some of the youthfulness shining through his 14-year old demeanor. "Mr. Griffin says that the watchtowers have spotted something else happening in the enemy camp!"

Nerevor frowned and looked up to the ceiling. A moment later, Kazam appeared out of thin air at his side. "You did well to tell me, Timothy. Head upstairs for some rest. Kazam, take us to the watchtower please."

The world unraveled and reappeared as Nerevor stepped forward. Luckily the heating was still working in the buildings, but even so, the windows had been opened wide so that their sentries could get a clear shot, cold air billowing through. A troop of Decidueye stood watching over the vast enemy camp, which had grown in size since yesterday. Nerevor felt at ease seeing so many of the Pokemon; they could pin a Rattata running from corner to corner even from all the way up here. Griffin and a few of his most trusted security guardsmen all huddled around a set of binoculars, scowling.

"I was told that something is the matter," Nerevor said.

"They're building something," Griffin said with a nod. "Take a look."

Peering through the binoculars, Nerevor saw what they were talking about. One of the abandoned buildings was surrounded on all sides by trucks and machinery. A host of Magnemite and Magneton buzzed around, feeding blasts of electricity into…something. Men in bulletproof vests were escorted by a squadron of Pokemon and some more Elite Guards, more than Nerevor had seen in the past two days.

"Those men in the vests are likely her engineers. What could it be, though?" Nerevor asked. "Have they made any demands?"

"None," a guardsman said. "They tried to attack the ward again but we pushed them back even easier than we did the first time. Didn't even bring any Elites with them."

Nerevor frowned. Just as he had yesterday, he was missing something. But he couldn't see it, not this time.

Hopefully that wouldn't cost them much.

"Please, my friends," Nerevor muttered, looking behind him to the north. "Hurry."

###

They were a little ways from the base of the ruins—or so Floyd was led to believe anyway—when he officially decided that bringing Vanessa was one of the best decisions he'd ever made. Perhaps her skill with the Ground only extended to that and not the mechanisms of the traps around them, but she could still feel the blank spots where the machinery lay beneath the layers of rock, dirt, and ash. They walked into a corridor that was one long stretch of a single granite slab. Vanessa had stopped them before anyone could cross and informed them that the slab was one giant tile. One person's weight wouldn't set it off, but their combined weight would, and it would cause the walls themselves to slide forward and crush them into pulp. Floyd flew everyone across and they kept moving at a brisk pace. Another time they came across a room with holes at ankle level, and Vanessa felt liquid settled deep in the ground, waiting for the trap to be triggered to flood forth and spill onto the oddly smooth floor.

They figured out later that the liquid was likely acid, because Tabby couldn't freeze or manipulate it with her limited Water magic, and the floors looked as though they'd been scrubbed clean yesterday.

Vanessa saved their lives almost a dozen more times over the course of the day. They made such good time through the numerous traps and tricks of the ruins that Floyd found himself longing for a clone of her to take with him once Olivier was defeated. It would certainly help for any other ruins that he and Ren would come across.

They stopped for the night, ate a hearty meal, then picked up where they left off when everyone awoke. There were no bones, no remains, and not even any Pokemon with how deep they'd come.

And that pressure from before had doubled. It was immense, like he'd swam too deep into the ocean and its weight was threatening to crumple him like a tin can. Of course, this pressure simply weighed on his mind, not his body, though it felt like a physical thing.

Something powerful awaited them nearby.

"You alright?" Ren asked Tabby as they continued to walk. "You'd think it was raining the way your forehead is sweating."

"I'm sweating because I'm still burning up down here," Tabby said. Her Safeguard was still up, and the heat had cooled the farther away from the molten steel they traveled. "And…because I think we're close."

"We are," Vanessa said, stopping at the base of a small slope. "Just ahead is…a blank spot, I suppose. I can't sense past it. Vance?"

"Cadrill," the Excadrill agreed, shaking his head.

"Then that means whatever is there is either not connected to the ground or…" She paused. "Well, I don't have any other explanation. Be ready, though."

They kept moving forwards. Any traces of Registeel's domain was gone by now. It was silent, completely silent except for the sounds of their breathing and the crunch of boots in the dirt. The heat soon faded and Floyd saw the barely-visible mist from the Safeguard fade away as well. Just as good; Tabby might need all of her strength to blast whatever waited for them beyond the chamber.

Floyd took another step and began hearing his own heartbeat in his ears. No, that wasn't right…it was another heartbeat…someone or something else's. Glancing around at his friends, it was clear they began to hear it too.

The passage stopped winding and became a straight shot to a gentle glow in the distance. The cave grew wider and wider around them, expanding above their heads and to their sides. The statues from the first floor began to reappear in all their splendor, but in much greater detail this time; they were painted and carved with ornate designs to their armor. There were new ones this time; a Pokemon that looked to be an orb in the middle of a closing dragon's mouth, another in the shape of a lightbulb covered in tesla coils. So many different designs, and all of them seemed to regard Floyd and his friends with insurmountable wills of their own.

And finally, they reached the door.

Compared to the other trials they'd gone through, the door was simple; a plain white, double marble door with a pattern of dots on either side. Floyd remembered the pattern from before.

They'd been on the face of Regigigas' statue.

"This is it," Vanessa said, awed. "Are we…are we ready to go in?"

"As ready as we'll ever be," Tabby murmured.

Vanessa nodded and pressed her hands against the doors, trying to push them open. She had barely strained for a second when the statues nearest the door all flashed violently, the dots on their faces flickering in intricate patterns. Voices echoed in their heads and in the cavern, sorting through their memories and judging their actions.

_Re-gi-rock._

_Re-gi-ice._

_Re-gi-steel._

…

There was a gentle click as the wills finished regarding them, and the doors swung open silently.

They'd reached the base of Snowpoint Temple.

And what a magnificent, yet terrifying sight it was.

Ren gasped. "This looks like…"

"I see it," Floyd said at once.

At their feet in the immediate entrance of the chamber was a long inverted triangle, which led all the way to the center of the gigantic chamber and joined with a large circle carved into the floor that surrounded a supermassive statue of Regigigas. That triangle was repeated again and again and again and again spanning the circumference of the cirlce. Floyd was willing to bet everything he owned, including his armor, that there would be enough rays around the circle to recreate the sun on his chest.

"Look at all these books!" Tabby shouted, running from the center of the room to the walls. It was a circular chamber, so the massive bookshelves were curved to wrap around the edge. There had to be easily tens of thousands of volumes in the shelves, some of them thin, some of them thick. Floyd saw molding scrolls and texts that almost bled with power, saw ancient depictions of events from before humans had even began to walk the earth. Above each bookshelf was a strange insignia, and upon inspection, it seemed it corresponded to a certain element. There was a flame above the section Tabby was ripping books down from, while Vanessa and Vance wandered over to a section that was likely about the Ground type.

But something was wrong.

"Ren, Tabby said there were 18 types, right?"

"Mmhm."

"So you see what's wrong here too?"

"Mmhm. Come on."

They walked across the room, Floyd's boots echoing against the marble of the floor. Compared to the cavern beyond, the room was downright cold, almost like they were back in the middle of the forest. It was a welcome relief to the intense heat of Registeel's trap-filled cavern, but the cold also made him more aware, more alert.

It felt eerily similar to Regirock's caverns if anything, a giant tomb for the dead. The lifelike—and likely lifesize—statue of Regigigas did nothing to quell his fears either.

Floyd and Ren stopped just before a series of bookshelves in the center of…everything, really. All of the other sections had their appropriate symbols listed above them, carved into the stone.

This section had nothing. No symbols, no carvings, nothing. In the shelves were various copies of what was likely a series in a language Floyd didn't know. The text looked…strange, alien…almost alive.

"Those are Unown," Ren murmured. "But what…?"

Floyd glanced up above the bookshelves. An empty hole yawned into the surface of the rock from which the chamber had been carved, fifteen feet in diameter. It was high enough that literally nothing would be able to reach it, not even the ladders that could be slid around the surface of the bookshelves. It was on the same level as the other Types' emblems, but why was it there?

"More damned mysteries," Ren sighed. "I swear, the day we get a straight answer for once is the day you and I finally retire."

Floyd had to smile at that. "Then I guess we'll be working for some time yet." He glanced behind him at the gargantuan statue of Regigigas. "I think I have an idea."

The statue of Regigigas here was almost exactly like the one on the first floor; the Pokemon was holding something like the world in its hands, only this time it wasn't nestled between its shoulder blade structures. It was holding it clear above its head, the globe gripped with both of its massive hands as though displaying it for the world to see.

For the world…or maybe a group of worshipers.

"What are you gonna do?" Ren asked.

Floyd crouched down and cupped his hands together. "Test out a theory."

Ren's eyes widened and she took a few hasty steps back. "Can you say the words?"

"No."

"Please? Come on, it's been a long couple'a days."

"No."

" _Pleeeaaase?"_

Floyd shook his head and focused. Light came roaring to his call, a ball of energy swelling between his cupped hands and spilling from between his fingers. He didn't need a lot of power, but he'd need more than he probably expected.

Best not to half-ass it.

His energy peaked and the Solar Flare erupted from between his palms, slamming with titanic force into the globe Regigigas held over its head. Any other material would have just been disintegrated or destroyed, but Floyd's hunch had proven correct. Whatever the globe was made out of, it caught the light and refocused the beam of pure energy…right into the empty hole above the unmarked section.

"Hold it, Boss!" Ren shouted over the roar of his energy blast. "Hold it!"

Floyd grit his teeth and dug his feet into the ground, trying to find purchase. The others had sprinted over to see what all the noise was about, and now just watched as Floyd directed all of his strength into the massive globe. A high-pitched whine began to emit from the far wall, and that radiant light began to spread like mercury in a thermometer through the walls, connecting the symbols with a white line.

"A little more!" Ren shouted. "Come on! Put your back into it!"

The high-pitched whine turned into a squeal as the entire room was enveloped in white light, the wind pushing away everyone close to Floyd as he tried his hardest to hang on. It was almost like his own power was working against him, and it was going to defeat him, it was going to kill him, it was too much…

Then he felt something shift and Ren started shouting louder. "STOP! STOP!"

Floyd almost couldn't let go of the power, ripping his hands away and stumbling backwards as the last of the Solar Flare swirled into the globe and rushed into the empty hole on the farthest wall. Blitz caught him and helped him to sit down against a wall, the others crowding around him.

"What happened?" Floyd asked, closing his eyes and letting the cool stone calm the raging fire that was his pulse. "What did it do?"

"Floyd," Tabby half-whispered, awestruck. "Open…open your eyes."

He did, and saw what they were all looking at.

The chamber had completely changed.

The ceiling above had turned a jet black, almost as though he were looking into empty space filled with thousands of stars. Their combined pinpoints of light—beautiful shining spots of greens and blues and pale whites—shone down on Regigigas' ancient tomb and turned it into a multicolored palette of timeless beauty. The Type symbols above the bookcases had all become illuminated with the various primary colors of their respective Types, the outlines ringed with white that flowed behind the bookcases and seemingly into the floor. Those lines joined the giant sun inscribed in the marble and lit it as well…along with another hidden addition.

There was another circle, one that connected all of the sun's rays near their tips. It most definitely hadn't been there before, but was now as bright as any of the other pieces of the symbol.

"I understand," Vanessa said slowly, Tabby nodding along with her.

"It's all connected," Floyd murmured. The answer was clear as day in front of him, how had he not seen it before now? Of course, maybe that was the magic of the chamber speaking to him, but he could see clearly what had to be done.

"There are 19 types," Tabby said, voicing their thoughts. "Each of the original 18 sure…but that empty hole above those bookshelves…that's the final piece! Arceus' original typing!"

"And if it all stems from the same place, it looks like _nothing_ can resist the power of the original typing," Vanessa said, looking down at Floyd. _"Your_ typing, Floyd."

"I'm no Pokemon," Floyd said.

"Maybe not, Boss," Ren said, as serious as he'd seen her in a while, "but it seems like your old man and Arceus really do have something in common. So by extension…"

He'd planned to do so already, but it seemed that he really was Snowpoint's best option for a showdown with Olivier.

"Okay," Floyd said after a moment of contemplation. "Though I can't believe we came all the way here just for the temple to tell us that. It seems like…it seems like there should be more here."

"You're right," Tabby said, turning and looking at the statue of Regigigas. "But I don't…"

"Quiet!"

Floyd and the others snapped to look at Vanessa who was holding up a hand cautiously. Vance also had his wicked claws at the ready. "Someone is coming, I can feel their footfalls. They're not much more than a minute away, and they're closing fast."

"Hide, all of you!" Floyd said. They scattered into position, standing near the door ready to pinch anyone who dared to step foot into the room. Floyd had no idea how one of Olivier's scouts had managed to catch up with them so soon, but it was likely they'd done him a favor by going through and disabling all of the traps for them.

Well. The scout would make for a valuable piece of information.

The scout blurred through the door, and his friends charged. Tabby and Blitz readied a bolt of fire, while Vanessa and Vance raised a fist of earth, and a Night Slash glimmered on the edge of Ren's horn.

Floyd nearly got the kill before his eyes caught up with his rather tired and on-edge brain. "Wait!" he shouted. "Wait, stop! Don't attack!"

He sheathed his lightsaber and stepped in front of all of his friends' still-charged attacks. He didn't know what she was doing here, but there she was, standing barely over three feet with a pouch strapped to her back.

"Snea! Sneasel!"

The Sneasel from the Pokemon Center wasted no time ripping off its pack and handing a message to Floyd and the others, warning them of a trap that had already been set.

**A/N: Sneasel returns! I really liked the idea of Snowpoint Temple in the games, so writing this mini-saga in the story was a _lot_ of fun. Thanks for reading, and see you next update.**


	25. Chapter 23: Ticking Time

**Chapter 23: Ticking Time**

Floyd was shocked to see Sneasel again. He knew that she was a wild Pokemon, and after Corinth's betrayal, he'd assumed that she'd went back to live with her pack. Evidently not, and from the looks of it, she was pretty strong. She'd crossed the entirety of the ruins on her own, even though Registeel's chamber with the abundance of Fire types. For that, Floyd let Sneasel help herself to some much-deserved food and water while they read the note.

To Mr. Floyd, Tabby, Vanessa

Olivier has sent ahead a large force, likely of Elite Guards to halt your progress. Sneasel delivered this message so that you would be able to prepare for the worst. By the time it reaches you, it is likely that they will have prepared for your reemergence from the ruins. Proceed with all caution,

Nerevor

"Fantastic," Ren said after Floyd finished reading the note. "So we were being followed."

"We couldn't have stopped them even if we wanted to," Floyd said. "If we did, we might've been killed. At the very least, it would have added several more days onto the trip, and delay only helps Olivier, not us."

"What do we do now?" Tabby asked. "If Olivier has a vanguard waiting at the front door…"

"Sneasel," Floyd said, and the Pokemon stopped its feasting for a moment. "Did you see any of Olivier's men on the way here? They would've been in heavy armor, steel. It would have been white and…and you would've smelled them, maybe. Like Ghosts."

"Sneasel snea! Sneasel sneasel!"

"She says yes," Ren clarified. "But there weren't that many. A few hunting packs worth, so…about eighty."

"Eighty Elite Guards," Tabby repeated, her shoulders slumping a little. "And I'm willing to bet there are some Liberated with them too."

"We can't fight that many," Vanessa said. "It just won't work."

Floyd put a hand to his jaw. There had to be some way out of this mess. If they just waltzed right into the ambush, they were finished. But there were no other ways out of the ruins, not that he'd seen.

"Sneasel," Floyd said, an idea striking him in the face. "How did you get past all of the traps? Were they unarmed still?" The Sneasel nodded. "And the men outside; did they see you come in?" Sneasel shook her head.

"What are you thinking?" Ren asked.

"Well," Floyd started, "If those men are still outside waiting for us, it's likely they don't know about the traps in the ruins…or the guardians that attack people with hostile intentions on the first floor."

"They might just be waiting for us to come out," Vanessa finished. "But even so, that's still a lot of Elite Guards to take care of. Even if we lured them deeper into the ruins without getting ourselves killed by reactivating the traps, that's still a lot of time lost."

"Oh, I don't think we'll need to bring them inside," Floyd said, turning around. "That statue of Regigigas…it looks _very_ lifelike, don't you think? It's not like most of the statues outside this room."

Tabby's eyebrows knit together, then her mouth dropped open. "You don't think…?"

"I think there's only one way to find out." He took a deep breath and raised his voice to a shout. "Regigigas! I know that you can hear me! I know that you have judged us and felt our presences! I know that you can hear the truth in my words! Know this, o great Regigigas! Hostile intruders have come to do harm to you and your great temple! We entered in pursuit of knowledge, passed your trials and tests, and defeated your guardians in fair combat! These intruders would unfairly bypass the restrictions, make war upon your domain, and worse, desecrate the legacy of Snowpoint City, the ancestral home of your creators! Would you allow these men to trample on their legacy, or will you fight with us to protect your home? Awaken, great Regigigas! Awaken and fight at the side of a Lightborn!"

His words thundered over the room, rolling off of the smooth surfaces and into silence. Nothing happened.

"Nicely said," Ren said after a moment. "But, uh, nothing happened."

The heartbeat that Floyd had grown accustomed to began to hammer louder in his ears.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Floyd said, watching the statue intently.

Dust rained from the arms and legs of the statue as though a wind had blown through the chamber…and then it began to move.

"By Arceus!" Vanessa shouted. "It's moving!"

The colossus of a Pokemon shifted, a sound like a hundred earthquakes going off at once as the ancient joints awakened from a deep slumber. The fingers twitched and stretched, the massive legs lumbering out of its crouched state. A loud whirring and buzzing emitted from the body of the massive Pokemon as it shifted and groaned, creaking under its own weight. A cross of dots blazed in a pattern similar to the patterns of the other three golems from before, almost like an activation code. They shone with a furious yellow light, and the three gems on either side of its bulging yellow face plate all blinked on at the same time. White light shone from the holes, washing over the entire chamber and removing centuries of dust and decay from Regigigas' body. The white stone of its body was slowly exposed, covered in black bands and moss that seemed to be a part of its body as much as the mechanics were. The globe crashed to the ground hard enough to atomize the marble, and Regigigas reared back and bellowed its name.

**RE-GI-GI-GAS**

A pulse of psychic power thrummed in the very air itself, Regigigas' full might threatening to split the atoms of the universe with its pressure. The full weight of its gaze turned onto Floyd and his friends, and it was all anyone could do to make themselves look non-threatening.

"Well, you got his attention," Tabby squeaked. "Tell me you've got a plan."

Floyd took a deep breath. Regigigas would respect only strength, and it was in that quality where Floyd would negotiate. It would be just like the Draconids, and Floyd had dealt with them more than he could count.

"Regigigas," Floyd started. "You're awake."

The Pokemon took two lumbering steps towards them, the vibrations from the titan's footfalls enough to literally lift Sneasel off the ground. "Gigas."

"Ren?"

"Who are you, human?" Ren translated.

"I am Clarence Floyd, Lightborn," Floyd said. The sun on his chest flared for dramatic effect. "This is Tabitha and Vanessa of Snowpoint City. They are the many-times repeated granddaughters of your ancestral creators."

"Regi…gigas."

"Why do you disturb my slumber? What purpose do you have to enter my temple?"

"An evil tyrant has taken control of Snowpoint City," Floyd explained, never breaking eye contact with the odd gemstones that functioned as its eyes. "She's sent some of her forces to the front door of your temple to stop us from getting back to Snowpoint with the information we need to end this war. Unless we have your help, her forces will kill us, and Snowpoint will be lost forever."

The titan considered this, drawing up to an even more immense height from a stooped position. If it thought he was lying, Floyd was absolutely sure that Regigigas could crush him like an insect. No amount of cunning would allow the seven of them to bring down the massive Pokemon. But he felt the titan's iron will sorting through his thoughts and memories, regarding him to determine the truth.

"Regi?"

"What would you have me do?"

Floyd kept the excitement from his face and voice. "We need your help to clear a path on the surface. Once there, we can leave the temple and make for the city in haste. We know how to beat Olivier; my power is proof against her Ghost Plate."

Regigigas reared back violently, its arms flying back in a terrifying gesture. "Regi! Regigigas!" For a moment, Floyd thought they were about to be attacked, but Regigigas wasn't angry at him.

The mention of the Ghost Plate had incensed it.

"So," Ren translated, "another human seeks the folly of our god's Plates? Humans will never learn; they will lead you all to ruin!"

"Another?" Tabby asked. "Someone…someone else has come looking for the Plates?"

"We can't worry about that right now," Vanessa said. "Olivier has one, and that's bad enough." She raised her voice and craned her neck at Regigigas. "Will you help us, Regigigas? If these Plates are truly as dangerous to human and Pokemon -kind as you say they are, then we don't have any time to waste!"

Regigigas calmed down, and even with its oddly-shaped body, Floyd recognized the universal gesture of a nod. "Regi!"

"He will," Ren said. "Fantastic. We've got a Legendary on our side."

"We'll have to move immediately," Floyd said. "It'll be a long trip back, but…"

"Regi," Regigigas said. "Re-gi-gi-gas!"

"It will not," Ren translated. "This is my temple, and it responds to my command!"

On the last word, a tremor shook the entire chamber. Like its master, the entire temple seemed to be rumbling, waking after centuries and centuries of a deep slumber.

"What's happening?" Ren shouted over the noise.

"I think we're getting zapped back to the surface!" Tabby shouted back.

"When we get there, strike quickly!" Floyd commanded. "Cut through them and make for the car!"

A dazzling light blinded them all as Regigigas roared, their bodies coming undone with the now-familiar sense of teleportation.

###

Tabby was tired, hungry, sore, and smelled unpleasant to put it mildly. There was dirt in her hair, her eyes were heavy, and her mind was ready to lay down and sleep for a week with how much magic she'd been doing over the past few days. But she held as much magical force as she could possibly muster at the ready. She'd need it for the Liberated that were undoubtedly with the Elite Guards. They would be affected by her magic as well as Vanessa's.

It would be up to Floyd and Regigigas to defeat the Elites, and Tabby had no idea how they were going to do that.

In the swirling vortex of color and sound, Tabby began to see the first floor of Snowpoint Temple come into view. The temperature changed, the ground became solid beneath her feet, her breath began to steam in the air. She smelled fresh pine and virgin snow on the air…and ozone.

There was magic here, and close.

The last pieces of the world flew back into place and suddenly Tabby and her friends stood in the Snowpoint Temple's landing, just before the statue of Regigigas and its three titans. Maybe the strike force had been outside when Sneasel had seen them last, but they had moved inside now, and they were paying for it. Tabby hadn't known what to expect of the temple's guardians. She'd thought that the various Banette, Gengar, Haunter, and other assorted Pokemon _had_ been the guardians. Banette had said it killed in service of the temple, after all.

She hadn't been more wrong.

Bands of Elite Guards and Liberated struggled against the Temple Guardians, which at first glance seemed to be shades of sorts. They were translucent, just visible enough to be told apart from the men they fought. But the Ghosts they'd fought beneath the first floor had been, well, ghosts, true. But these seemed more like illusions than Pokemon. Nevertheless, they _were_ most definitely Pokemon, and all of them were the Pokemon that had been seen in the hall leading to Regigigas' chamber. There were the three famous Regis of course, one of each floating around or leaping into the air to slam into the ground with titanic force. Regice hung back and fired Ice Beams into the midst of the struggling Elites while Registeel and Regirock charged in and just hammered away with no regard for themselves. The Elites were unphased by the attacks, managing to withstand the crushing blows Regirock and Registeel struck with and push back with their lightsabers. The Liberated didn't do as well, some of them falling to the giant sledgehammers that functioned as Regirock's hands. Tabby winced and looked away as one of the Liberated was turned into little more than pulp as Regirock used Hammer Arm. Still, they persisted against those three, the Liberated warding against the Ice Beams and throwing pulses of flame while the Elite handled the melee.

The other two Regis were a whole different story. The lightbulb-looking Regi blipped from place to place, teleporting as an electrical current before the Liberated could even begin to target it. As soon as it lost its pursuers, it let loose a withering blast of electricity. Ten Liberated were immediately turned to smoking char as the electricity slammed into their ranks and smashed their wards like a hammer to glass. The other Regi, the one with the dragon's head, was a demon. It flew in the open air, waiting for an opportunity to attack and then blurring down to the ground. Its arms—or head, Tabby didn't know—bit a Liberated in half. Instead of his insides falling to the ground, he simply disintegrated with a silent scream, leaving no trace he'd ever existed. Four Elites closed and stabbed with their lightsabers, ripping through its translucent form. The Regi merely looked annoyed if anything the dots on its face pulsing blue before it spun in a tight circle and loosed a giant purple beam of raw power. The Elites were pushed back as the beam connected with them, and once again, the raw power of the Regis shattered the wards of the Liberated.

Even with all of their combined attacks, the Liberated and the Elites were holding, if barely. Anything could tip the balance.

Like for example, the master of the Legendary Titans.

"Now! Strike!" Floyd roared.

Tabby led with a shout, letting the tight ball of fire she'd been focusing rip free from her hands. It rolled forward in a crashing wave, swallowing everything in sight. All of the Regis either avoided or stood in the path of the Fire Blast, while the Liberated scrambled to block it, taken off-guard by the sudden attack. Vanessa slammed her palms into the ground, Vance doing the same with his massive claws, and the ground rippled and folded as though it was snapping in the wind. Massive cracks and crevices ripped through the foundations of the first floor, and many of the Liberated and Elites lost their footing.

As the Regis darted in and began killing in earnest, Tabby blinked and missed Floyd blur forward into the melee. He conducted death, cold and efficient, his blade licking across the neck of an Elite Guard. His head clattered to the ground in his helmet, while Floyd kept moving in a deadly dance. Four more men fell dead to the ground in almost as many heartbeats, his blade finding heads and hearts alike. A few Elites ripped away from the melee with Regirock and ran for Floyd, eager to cut him down and serve their master. With a burst of speed, Floyd was suddenly behind them all, the sun on his chest shining and chiming as the speed faded. They too were left dead, and Tabby lost track of him as the crowds began to bunch together.

"Keep attacking!" Vanessa shouted, twisting her hands upward. Pillars of earth began to shoot from the ground, throwing Liberated and Elite Guards into the air like scattered toys. "We have to clear a path to the car!"

"Incoming!" Ren warned.

Right in front of them actually. A knot of Liberated flanked by three Elites ran towards them, determination on their faces.

"Blitz, help me out!"

"Infernape!"

The pyre atop her partner's head roared with intensity, swirling around Tabby's arms and making it easier to roll a spell of her own. With a combined shout, they launched into the fluid motions of the Infernape evolutionary line, a volley of punches and kicks that loosed howling blasts of flame on their attackers. The Liberated came to a screeching halt, calling up Safeguards and veils of water to mute the Fire Blasts. The Elites had no such distinction, rushing through the flames with their lightsabers aimed at her heart.

It had been standing so still that Tabby had forgot it was there, but right about then, Regigigas moved.

There was no possible way a Pokemon of such a size should have been able to move so fast, but it nonetheless. It may as well have teleported with how quickly it got in front of Tabby and Blitz, its massive arms coming down in an arc to end the Elites. It crushed two of them beneath the massive blows and swept another into the air like trash, its body crashing into the stone statues with enough force to turn them to powder.

And it still _fucking_ got back up.

Tabby didn't understand. How could Olivier make such an armor that could withstand even Regigigas' mighty blows? Those punches should have literally turned the Elites inside out, and yet their undead bodies were still moving. She glimpsed Floyd flickering in and out of the melee, and she could tell that even he was tired. If they could all strike, it would be a different story…but how?

The Elites leapt at Regigigas, carving at it with their lightsabers. It wasn't translucent like its guardians, and actually felt the pain of the wounds. They healed almost immediately, but the titan still let out a mechanical roar of its name and attacked again. The rest of the Liberated were killed immediately by its thrashing, and it used its terrible momentum to sweep one of the Elites up into its giant hands and squeeze. Again, Tabby waited for the top of the armor and the undead warrior's head to pop like a grape, but it merely wriggled free from the Pokemon's grasp with a tinny roar of its own, power exploding from the gaps of the armor and forcing the Regigigas into a retreat. Once again, his three fellows struck with their lightsabers, piercing both of Regigigas' legs and one leaping up to pierce a diode on the side of its chest.

Regigigas let out another roar of pain, much more annoyed than before, and whirled on a retreating Elite. Its hand was raised in a chopping gesture, a furious red light snarling around it as Regigigas brought it hammering down.

And this time, the Elite _did_ explode. The head was ripped off so hard it flew into the wall and caused a chunk of rock to rain down from the ceiling from the impact. The body slumped onto the ground, and every Elite nearby stopped to look in shock.

"That's it!" Tabby shouted.

"What is?" Ren asked.

Tabby grinned, summoning magic around her fingers. "I know how to bust these things open!"

###

An Elite pursued Floyd with grim determination, his friend circling around to strike at his flank. Floyd's arm snapped up to deflect the surprise attack with inhuman speed, and he quickly dropped to the ground to avoid the heavy slash of the first Elite's lightsaber. He spun on his shoulders, tripping both of the Elites and sending them to the ground with a clatter of their fine armor. He used his Light Speed for a split-second, cleaving off their heads and leaving the stumps to burn as he dodged two Icicle Spears that rocketed towards his face. A couple of Liberated summoned magic to strike him dead, and Floyd had no choice but to engage. He threw his lightsaber end-over-end at an approaching Elite and cut him in half, then began to charge a Solar Flare to intercept the attack.

Before that happened though, a gale of wind swept through the melee. It was so strong that it pushed some of the combatants next to Floyd a couple of feet, though Floyd wasn't moved at all. He turned to see where the attack had come from, as did the Liberated who had targeted him, looking just in time to see a fireball screaming down from the heavens to land in the midst of a knot of Elites.

They went up like firewood, the ball exploding and ripping through the fine metal that contained their undead bodies. It didn't matter how little flesh was exposed, that fire ripped the cold magic keeping the undead alive to shreds.

Floyd felt a mad grin slide onto his face despite the circumstances.

Tabby's hair billowed away from her face, a desperate light in her eyes as she let another howling force of wind rip from her fingers, following it up with a searing cone of flame.

Somehow, she'd figured out how to break through the fine armor of the Elites.

As soon as everyone else realized that, their morale shattered like glass.

"Regis!" Floyd boomed. "Attack now! The enemy is crippled!"

With the aid of six legendaries and his already powerful friends, the fight was all but over in minutes.

###

Tabby ran over to Floyd just as he ripped his lightsaber up the back and across the neck of the last Elite, sheathing his lightsaber and retracting his helmet. His face was stretched in a grin, one that Tabby returned in earnest along with a giddy, exhausted laugh as she leapt into his offered hug.

"How did you do that?" Floyd asked, breathing hard.

"Regigigas could only hit them with Brick Break, nothing else," Tabby explained. "The enchantments were woven so tightly that we couldn't see them for what they really were, but in reality it was nothing but layers and layers of Reflect, Light Screen, and Aurora Veil. When Griffin said it felt 'cold'? I think that's what he meant; he could feel the Ice magic on the metal. So," she flexed her fingers and a wind whipped up to push hair out of her face, "I got rid of the screens with Defog."

Floyd nodded approvingly. "Excellent. You really pulled our butts out of the fire, Tabby. Good work." He clapped her on the shoulder (though she would have accepted a kiss too) and moved to Sneasel. "And you, Sneasel. Without you, we would have walked right into a trap. We wouldn't have even thought to have asked Regigigas for help, and we almost certainly would have died. Thank you."

Tabby wasn't sure if Sneasel could blush, but if they could, this one certainly did. Adorably, she frowned and crossed her arms as she did so, looking away and trying not to smile. "Snea," she said simply.

"Well," Vanessa said, still catching her breath. "We survived." Tabby noted she didn't want to look at the floor, likely because she knew some of the Liberated here. "What now?"

The ground shook as Regigigas and his titans approached, Tabby stiffening up as they did so.

"Now," Floyd said, stepping forward, "we say goodbye." He was absolutely stone-faced, something that Tabby couldn't help but admire. By Arceus, she was smitten. Or maybe it was the exhaustion talking now. "Mighty Regigigas, thanks to you and your guardians, we were victorious. We're in your gratitude."

"Regigigas," the titan droned. "Regi?"

"He said that we were all respectable warriors worthy of Snowpoint's legacy," Ren translated. "And he wants to know what we'll do now."

"What we promised to do," Floyd said. "With our knowledge of the 19th type, we will take the fight to Olivier and end her reign of terror once and for all, restoring peace to Snowpoint." He paused. "I don't suppose you'd like to join us? Victory would be assured with you at our side."

"Gigas," it said, and its tone was unmistakable.

"No," Ren translated nonetheless. "It helped us protect its temple, but it won't directly involve itself in a human war. The rest is up to us."

"Regigigas. Regi…regigigas."

"It also gives us its blessing to take the tomes and other materials we found in the temple with us," Ren said. "It hopes they'll be of some assistance to us."

Floyd bowed, the rest of them following suit. "Thank you, mighty Regigigas. We will be on our way now."

A grunt made its way to Tabby's ears, and everyone whirled. The guardians reared back, and Regigigas' diodes all glowed red, while her friends prepared attacks.

One of the Liberated had survived; a heavier set man…Hale, she thought his name was. His face was wet with the gore he'd lain in, but she didn't see any wounds on his body.

Especially not on his hand, which was leveled towards Ren's face.

Tabby barely had time to react as the icicle screamed towards the Absol. Sneasel leapt into the air and cut it down with her wicked sharp claws, then landed atop Hale's back, those same claws threatening to tear out his throat.

"Good girl," Floyd said as they all crossed the distance. "You're one of the Liberated, I'm assuming."

Hale ignored him and spat. "Tabby, Tabby, Tabby. This is the man you're so enamored with? Did you not just see him cut down so many of your friends in cold blood? Or you, Vanessa? Are you both blind?"

A muscle worked in Vanessa's jaw, and Tabby herself saw red. "How dare you try to turn this on us," Tabby said, trying to keep her voice level. "You _all_ made your choices when you either joined forces with Corinth or tried to kill us _last week!"_

"She's right," Vanessa said, her voice as cold as the mountain snow outside. "You are no friends of ours. The people I knew died the moment Corinth showed up on that street."

"Since I've been translating all day, I can tell you what that means," Ren added. "Means that they don't give a damn about any of them," she flicked her head over her shoulder, "and they certainly don't give a damn about you. Boss, I say we kill him and throw him into the ocean." She sneered down at the man, who blanched at the expression. "Maybe a few Carvanha will have a sizable meal tonight."

Floyd's face had settled into the cold mask he assumed whenever combat was near. "Vanessa, Tabby? You agree with this?"

"I will go along with what you think is best," Vanessa said, turning her back on Hale.

Tabby swallowed. "Yeah. Me too."

Floyd nodded, raising his lightsaber.

"It won't matter!" Hale screamed, panicking. Sneasel dug her claws in a little deeper to keep him steady, but Floyd held up a hand. "It won't matter if you kill me!"

"And why is that?"

"Because," Hale said, "Corinth and Olivier will defeat you! Olivier will use our magical knowledge and our forces along with her army to remake Snowpoint in our image! First here, then all of the region! Perhaps even the world! It will be a new age for the oppressed, for all magi to live in the light!"

"Really?" Ren said, unimpressed as she examined her claws. "And how _ever_ will she do that?"

"The device, the bomb beneath the Hub…it is almost finished. A few days at most and Olivier will arm it. Only by doing what she instructs will she allow the innocent of Snowpoint to go free." Another touch of fear entered his voice. "If…if you take me alive, I can…I can convince Corinth to let you all live as prisoners!"

"You're about as stupid as you look, dumbass," Ren remarked, an air of finality behind her words.

"Maybe Olivier will remake Snowpoint City," Floyd said. "Or maybe we will instead. Either way, you will not live to see it."

Hale screamed gibberish until the crimson blade fell upon his neck.

###

Twenty of the Liberated shoved against the magical ward covering the Northern Quarter, all of their muscles trembling with the strain as they summoned more magic.

Nerevor batted aside their magical attacks with ease.

The fools had stood directly in front of the ward, and were attempting to charge attacks before making their way into a forced breach. Nerevor simply redirected some of the power stored in the ward into a Psychic attack. The Liberated weren't even killed, just slapped away like they were sticks in the wind. The bands of regular men and their Pokemon flinched away from the sight, retreating further into the enemy camp…right into that building where Olivier was constructing her strange machine.

Nerevor didn't know what it was she was doing in there, but he had a feeling he was going to find out soon.

A chill rolled up his spine, and he turned to look to the north as his coat billowed around him in a stirring wind.

Then a grin broke out on his face.

Perhaps it would be sooner rather than later.

Nerevor teleported to the northern exit into the mountain pass, where sure enough, a black tank of a car was being searched and questioned by the security detail. All of the men knew who had gone on the trip, but it still made Nerevor feel a little safer knowing Griffin had picked a detail that was still vigilant.

"You've returned," Nerevor said as they pulled forward.

"Yeah," Tabby said, sticking her head through the back window. "And boy do we have some info for _you."_

"Let's get inside," Floyd said, and Nerevor opened the ward to let them through.

###

"Amazing," Nerevor said after the others had finished their tale. They sat in the war room, a television showing one of Olivier's daily press conferences. "So then…you believe you can defeat Olivier?"

"I do," Floyd said with a nod. "And worse, we might not have any other options."

"Couldn't you beat Olivier, Nerevor?" Tabby asked.

He shook his head, beard rustling against his coat. "If not for the ward, maybe. But although the ward is self-sustaining, I was forced to…maim myself as it were. I could deal with a majority of our enemies, but Olivier backed by the power of the Ghost Plate would most likely prove too much to handle."

Floyd noted that Tabby's face twitched a little at that, but she nodded and said nothing else. "Then I guess…this is the home stretch then? One last hurrah?"

"I don't believe it will be that easy," Nerevor said. "Especially after what our friend Hale revealed in his final moments. But I believe there is a strategy that we can take that will allow us to break Olivier's resistance with minimal casualties." He grimaced. "I would prefer none at all, but such is the nature of war, even a small one such as this."

Ren let off a toothy yawn, one that Sneasel—who sat behind her head—returned with earnest. "Let's talk strategy after a big ol' group nap. It's been a _long_ cave adventure. I could use some chow that isn't spelunking rations, a soft bed and…"

"We get it," Floyd said, patting her head. "We really could use some rest though."

"And you've earned it," Nerevor said. "We will resume tomorrow. Vanessa, if I could speak with you before you lay down."

"Of course," Vanessa said with a nod. "Nice job, you four." She paused, then smiled at Sneasel. "Five."

Floyd and the others left those two behind to chat and climbed to Floyd's room, where the Pokemon ran in to feast heartily on Ren's food in her bowl. Ren was less than pleased, but seemed to be too tired to put up too much of a fight.

"Looks like you've got a new Pokemon," Tabby teased, bumping his arm.

Floyd grunted. "Looks like it. I'll get an extra Pokeball tomorrow." He looked back at her. "How are you holding up?"

"What, because of Hale?" He nodded. "I'm fine. I knew of him, but I didn't know him well." They fell silent, watching the Pokemon eating and drinking. But Floyd knew Tabby well enough to know when the question was coming, so he waited.

"Floyd," she began after a long silence, "how did you…do it?"

"Kill him, you mean," Floyd said, and she nodded. "It isn't easy."

"It looked like it."

"Oh, it is. If I wanted to, I could chop my hand out and crush your windpipe. You'd be dead in seconds."

Tabby gave him a flat look.

"Ah, sorry. Point is, the action _is_ easy. It's what comes before and after that's hard."

Tabby swallowed. "Justifying it?"

"It's not something you should take lightly," Floyd said. "But…you do realize that you might have to kill someone in these next few days, right?"

"Yeah," she said shakily. "Just…trying to come to terms with it, I guess. But I will…if I have to." She raised her voice. "Blitz, get out of their food bowl! We've got food in the room." The Infernape loped over to her side and Tabby turned towards the door. "I'll see you later on today?"

"Count on it," Floyd said. "Sleep tight."

Tabby flashed him a smile before closing the door behind her. Letting out a long breath, Floyd lumbered over to the couch and crashed, sitting down and leaning his head back against the cushion as he closed his eyes. Not a minute later, two warm, furry bodies slammed into him, one settling comfortably across his lap and the other sitting on his shoulder.

"Well," Floyd began, "does this mean you'll be staying with us?"

"Snea!"

"That's a yes, Boss," Ren said.

Floyd felt himself smile. "It's dangerous with us. And Snowpoint isn't our only stop. Once we're done here, you'll be in for quite the road trip."

"Sneasel snea!"

"She said she's ready for anything," Ren translated. "Trust me hun, you're gonna regret saying that later."

"Well then I suppose you're officially my Pokemon," Floyd said, glancing at the reluctantly-smiling Sneasel. "Er, you will be once we get a Pokeball. But you need a name, I think." Sneasel nodded enthusiastically. "How about…Onyx? How's that name?"

Sneasel leapt up in excitement and rolled around on the couch, bouncing around despite all she'd been through in the past day or so.

"I don't think you need me to translate that one, Boss," Ren said, and Floyd was pleased to see the smile on her face too.

"No, I don't," Floyd said. "Well then, Onyx. Welcome to the team."

"Snea!"


	26. Chapter 24: Calm Before the Storm

**Chapter 24: Calm Before the Storm**

Later that night after everyone had gotten some much needed food, water, and rest, the entire council met in the war room.

For some reason, Tabby had a feeling this would be the final time they met before someone lost this fight. Whether it would be Olivier or Tabby and her friends…that was too early to tell.

"Thank you for joining me, my friends," Nerevor began. "To begin, Griffin has a security report on the ward. If you would, Griffin."

Griffin stirred in his chair, bleary-eyed but still sitting up straight. "The watch hasn't seen anything unusual in the tactical sense. After you blew away the opposition earlier, they haven't tried to push the ward at all. However, we've been watching some of the trucks surrounding the big building where they've been building…whatever it is. Some of them have moved, and they're starting to travel down the line. All of the watchtowers and scouts confirm that they're moving parallel to the ward we've put up."

Vanessa scowled and shook her head. "Why do I have a feeling that this is one of the final moves before the endgame?"

"It is," Floyd said. "Hale seemed confident that the bomb is almost complete. I think Olivier is setting herself up to be in a position where she can't lose…or at least, a position where she controls everything."

Griffin snorted. "Then she's almost gotten what she wants. While you three were gone, reporters started coming in from _outside_ the city, through the southern gate. Olivier's slowly turning the press on her side."

"Making us look like the bad guys," Tabby finished. "Arceus, she's going to have the entire country against us by the time this is over."

"Let us handle one problem at a time," Nerevor said as he raised his hands. "Do any of you have any speculations as to what Olivier may be building?"

Zero chuckled. "You mean does Floyd have any speculations?"

No one agreed, but no one disagreed either. Slowly, everyone around the table turned to look at him, though he remained impassive. "I will go and scout tonight. Maybe I can give us a bit of warning."

Nerevor nodded. "Very good. Now we will come to the subject of the bomb. Will the three of you fill in Griffin and Zero as to what you learned from Hale?" They did so, Griffin and Zero sharing nervous glances throughout the story.

"A few days, then," Griffin said. "I guess it wasn't a bluff."

"And the fact that he thinks Corinth and Olivier really can beat us," Zero started. He sucked in air through his teeth. "Sounds pretty bad to me."

"We did manage to bring back a variety of spells and tomes that will help us," Vanessa said. "They're mostly for the Ground and Fire magi, as the Elites will be more susceptible to those types of magic than anything, being undead."

Zero shrugged. "I mean, cool, but it doesn't change the fact that Floyd's the only one that can kill 'em."

Tabby made eye contact with Ren from across the table, and before Tabby could even wordlessly threaten her, Ren began to speak. "Oh, so Tabby didn't tell you? You must not want all the credit then. I get it though. You're too young for everyone to be kissing the very stones where you walk and—"

"What she's trying to say," Floyd interrupted, "is that Tabby figured out how to punch through the enchantments on the Elite Guard armor. It's just a matter of teaching your other initiates."

Even Nerevor looked surprised as he turned towards her, hope glimmering in his blue eyes. "Well, uh," Tabby stammered, starting off strong. "It's just…I mean, Regigigas was the one who used Brick Break—"

"Which most people wouldn't have figured out on their own," Vanessa added with a smile.

"Well…I…point is, yeah I figured it out. It's just a layer of Reflect, Light Screen, and Aurora Veil wrapped so tightly that we couldn't discern it. I don't know how we missed it the first time to be honest." Tabby quickly realized how condescending that sounded and sputtered. "I mean…not to say anything…ah, man…"

Nerevor boomed out a laugh, causing everyone to glance at him with amused looks on their faces.

"You're right, Tabby," Griffin said, a pleased expression on his face. "We shouldn't have missed it the first time. You've clearly become smarter and stronger. We're proud of you, kid."

"Yes," Nerevor said after he'd mastered himself. "And I would assume that you used a Defog strong enough to break those wards? That means you are now proficient at the very least in two types of magic. Well done, well done indeed."

Tabby felt her face flush with heat, and she couldn't keep the stupid smile from creeping up on her face from the compliments. Nerevor's was one thing, but she'd always looked up to Griffin for staying strong during the hard times. That compliment made her feel…accomplished.

She still gave Ren the stink eye for putting her in the spotlight like that though.

"With this in mind, I will instruct that every fighting mage is to be accompanied by a Pokemon or Flying type expert capable of using Defog wherever Elite Guards are likely to be present." Nerevor looked at Zero. "Now, my friend…tell us about your evacuation plan."

"Right," Zero said, standing up and leaning over the model map of Snowpoint. "Alright, so listen. Nobody here likes the Southern Quarter. I mean, they were rude, lots of 'em are anti-magic, blah blah blah. Problem is, I'm _from_ the Southern Quarter. Got family down there and not everyone down there is bad. They just get lumped in with all the bad eggs. So especially with this new info from you guys, I think we gotta get everyone here _and_ everyone from down there _out_ before it's too late."

"Out?" Tabby asked. "We can't exactly take them out the southern gate, no way Olivier would let her hostages go that easily."

"Mmmmaybe not," Zero admitted, "but something Nerevor said got me thinking…what if we didn't use the land?"

Vanessa snapped her fingers. "The boats."

Zero nodded. "For our out-of-universe friend here, there's a boat that stays in our port called the S.S Spiral. It'll take you to the Battle Zone 'cause the ocean currents to the east are way too rough to even try to surf on."

"If we could get civilians, sick, and wounded on that boat, we'd be talking about way lower stakes during the fight," Griffin said. "And…and if need be, we could abandon the city safely if it comes down to it."

"It'd be tough," Vanessa said. "There are about million people here in Snowpoint. We can tell our people to get out easily enough, but what about the Southern Quarter? To say nothing of the East and West."

"Leave that to me," Zero said. "They've got a soft spot for me…kinda. They'll listen."

"And if they don't?"

Zero shook his head sadly.

Vanessa sighed. "I guess that's the best we'll be able to do."

"With luck, we won't have to evacuate," Nerevor said. "But your plan is a good one Zero. This coincides with our last strategy. Vanessa."

"Right," Vanessa said. "From what I've been told, the bulk of Olivier's army and the Liberated are here, right in front of us to keep us from leaving. If anyone opens that barrier and tries to storm through, there's going to be casualties on both sides. I suggest that instead of trying to go through them, we go around them."

"How?" Floyd asked. "I thought the ward only extends out a certain distance from the Northern Quarter. They'll have patrols out around the borders."

"They will," Vanessa said, "but I doubt they'll be underground."

Silence filled the room as one-by-one, they all grasped her plan.

"That…could work," Ren said slowly. "Dig a tunnel under them, pop up behind them and take them all unawares."

"It's certainly an aggressive strategy," Griffin said, frowning.

"It is," Nerevor agreed, "which is why it is our best strategy. Corinth's betrayal made me realize that I have a habit of not beginning the fight when I should. Even with this ward, I merely boxed us in and allowed the enemy to strike at their leisure. Olivier will not expect me or any of you to risk the entire conflict at the throw of the dice."

Floyd nodded. "The best type of punch is one your enemy doesn't see coming. But as soon as Olivier realizes what's happening, she'll try to stop you. I don't think she necessarily wants to blow up Snowpoint City; Hale made it sound like her plan is to dominate Snowpoint, to reshape it using a nuclear deterrent as leverage. If she can, she'll storm down from Central Tower and kill you all herself if that's the easier option."

Ren grinned. "And this is the part where we say 'Don't worry, we got this'."

"The day this all goes down, you'll have to fight without me," Floyd said. "Ren, Onyx and I will go to fight Olivier alone."

Immediately, Tabby heard herself, Vanessa, and Zero protest, while Griffin and Nerevor stayed silent, glancing worriedly towards Floyd and Ren. Floyd let them all voice their (rather loud) sentiments, then took a deep breath. "I know it sounds crazy. But Olivier's Plate is the Ghost Plate. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Dark is super-effective against Ghost, right? I have two powerful Dark types on my team now, to say nothing about my own powers. If I can restrain or cut Olivier down, the whole thing ends, _period._ " He pointed at both Tabby and Vanessa. "The two of you saw the hidden message in Regigigas' chamber. All of the types are connected by my type of power. It won't make any sense to send anyone else. The most you'll do is get in the way."

"No we won't!" Tabby exclaimed, standing up. "We ran straight through Snowpoint Temple together! You'll need all hands on deck and we—"

"Tabby," Nerevor said.

"No! He can't—"

"Tabitha," Nerevor repeated, a warning this time. Tabby bit her lip in frustration but sat down. "Mr. Floyd, we appreciate your volunteering to go by yourselves, but do you honestly believe you can defeat her? I imagined you would have many of us beside you when the time came."

Ren shrugged. "It makes the most sense. Like we've been saying, we've killed things a lot more dangerous than some roided-up tramp with a god complex. We'll be fine." Floyd nodded in agreement, and the argument was officially lost on Tabby's side.

"Moron," she muttered under her breath.

"Before we adjourn," Nerevor said, "Mr. Floyd, what is the status on the flight system of your car? I must say, the prospect of a flying car with that armor plating would be useful for deterring crowds from forming."

Floyd shook his head. "I know _how_ to fix it, but we can't. Just like how our steel is different from the steel here, so are the materials and technologies. The things I need to replace the parts literally don't exist yet."

Ren frowned. "What's broken, Boss?"

"The basic hovering system and some of the flight drive's cooling."

"Buuuuut not the thrusters?"

"No." Now it was his turn to frown. "Why?"

"Yo, Griffin," Ren said, and the man arched his eyebrow, nonplussed. "You know Olivier's legion of Magnemites and Magnetons and Magnezones? Have any of them been shot down recently?"

"I suppose it's possible," Griffin said with a shrug. "Why?"

"Put up a bounty offering money to anyone who can shoot down at least…mm, four of any Pokemon in the Magnezone evolutionary line and bring back the, er, scrap. I've got an idea. Boss, you'll have to scout without me."

"That's fine," Floyd said. "Are we done here?"

No one had anything else to offer, and the meeting was adjourned.

###

Floyd dipped into the night to scout.

The enemy was incredibly lax, to the point that Floyd was sure he probably could have infiltrated their setup on foot if he'd really wanted to. Many of them had put down weapons or put Pokemon back in their Pokeballs for the night instead of leaving them on watch. He saw many card games, many easy sleepers, and many opportunities to ravage the army.

He took none of them.

Because even a single alarm would bring the entire stock of Elite Guards crashing on his head.

There were likely more than what Nerevor had seen since they'd been gone at the temple. They always moved in groups to one position, stopped, then went completely still despite the abysmal chill of the night. Being undead likely had its advantages. Sometimes the Liberated would speak to them, and they also wisely moved in packs, especially when approaching the armored soldiers. The Elites always answered in that buzzing, droning voice, not a hint of emotion in any of their words.

Floyd left them alone, though he tried to get a rough headcount of the enemy. Unfortunately, he didn't have nearly enough time in the night. He didn't dare fly or do anything that required the use of his power. The Elites would sense it, to say nothing of the Liberated. So he silently prowled the deserted rooftops above the enemy camp, leaping into the empty sky and gliding silently through the night when patrols stepped from the roof exits to gaze out. The wraithcloth cloak turned their eyes from so far away, and anything they saw, they'd chalk up to a trick of the light. By the time they'd double take, Floyd would already be miles away. He made it out of the militarized zone and zipped to the top of the tallest building he could find, gazing at the distant specks of Olivier's army and the Northern Quarter all together.

Sanctuary was beautiful, in a way. The ward surrounding it was mostly invisible, but at the very tops where the clouds began to form, a pink glow filled the deep black of the night sky, giving the impression of an aurora rippling across the sky. The quiet was also beautiful, but terrifying. It was the calm before the storm, the pressure that metal undergoes in the final moments before it's bent too far and finally _snaps._

Bomb or not, the relatively quick siege would be ending very, very soon.

He tapped the temple of his helmet, the lenses zooming in. He watched the border of the ward, tracking several vehicles that chugged along even throughout the night. They were large trucks with tarps over their large backs; likely they were stocked to the brim with troops just in case; patrol cars. There were also strange motorcycle-looking devices…though they weren't…?

Floyd sighed, suddenly thankful Ren wasn't here.

The vehicles were speeder bikes. Floyd recognized them instantly from the sounds they made. A few of them passed him far, far below to race back to Central, and their high-pitched whines sent him reeling back to the few bright spots of his childhood when he'd grown up watching the Star Wars movies.

That didn't matter though, because Floyd saw something else along the border. A truck that was much different to the other patrol trucks had stopped, guarded by a few men who stood shivering out in the cold. An arm raised above itself, reached into the bin it carried on its back and inserted a glowing…something into the ground. It was a metal disc about as large as Vanessa's Excadrill made of black metal with blinking blue lights fitted into the edges. He barely managed to take pictures of it before it was forcibly screwed into the ground and packed away beneath the earth.

Floyd was willing to bet that if he asked the men in the watchtowers, they'd confirm that the same types of trucks were the ones driving up and down the border. But why? Were the devices explosives, perhaps? Something to open up a hole in the ground for the army to get through? That could work; it was just be the flipside of their own plans. But why would Olivier do it out in the open? To bait a response?

The answer came to him as he sat crouched upon the edge of his building, the wind tugging at his cloak.

It was all for show.

With the media presence, Olivier couldn't afford to look like the bad guy lest the Pokemon League come falling on her head. Something like this was more or less a hostage situation, and the best way to control a hostage situation was to play for time. There was no way that Olivier would be able to starve them out, but if she could _force_ them to stay where she wanted while she built up her army even more, or worse, managed to perfect her little bomb beneath the Hub…well, she'd have all the power she'd ever need.

He called Ren through the car's phone, and luckily she responded near instantly. "Your favorite Absol is now on the line, speak and be heard," she chirped.

"You sound cheery," Floyd remarked, smiling behind his mask.

"Oh, I am," Ren said. "I really think my idea is gonna work, so long as Griffin gets me what I need. Speaking of needs, what're you calling for?"

"I need you to tell the others Olivier is preparing a circumvallation forcefield outside of the ward."

He could almost hear Ren frowning as the gears turned in her head. "Hold on, why would she do that?"

"She wants us where she can keep an eye on us and starve us out to the public," Floyd answered. "It won't work, but it'll go a long way in making her look like the good guy."

"So how do we beat it?"

"We'll keep to Vanessa's plan," Floyd said. "I have a feeling the things they're putting into the ground are…diodes, I suppose. If you take one out…"

"The whole thing falls apart," Ren finished. "Well, alright. Do try to get back inside before they put it up though. I'd hate for you to catch a cold sleeping outside."

Floyd chuckled. "Love you, princess."

"Love you too, Boss."

The call ended and Floyd turned his attention towards his last stop before he could go back and get some more rest: a large radio tower of steel that towered over the majority of the buildings, its edges blinking with red lights in the night.

###

Tabby woke up three times that night.

The first was when Ren had burst through the door and loudly exclaimed at 1 in the morning that Olivier was creating a massive forcefield to let them out on her own terms. Tabby, who had been slobbering over her open tomes for almost an hour, only half-heard her and went back to sleep, too tired and over-worked to care about much else.

The second was when Floyd arrived back from his scouting trip and let her know he was back safe. That had made her feel better, and she drifted into a deeper sleep than she had earlier.

The last was when her entire room began to shake, knocking one of her potted plants and a few picture frames to the floor with a crash.

Her eyes snapped open, and flames swirled to life around her hands. Blitz, who'd passed out on the couch, leapt up on all fours sensing her distress and scanned the room.

It was coming from outside their room, not from inside.

The two of them ran to the front entrance of Sanctuary and onto the street, along with almost the entire residency of Sanctuary not on watch. Just like before, a dome of light, blue this time, shot up from just outside Nerevor's ward, arching up a little bit higher than his too. The sheer volume of energy caused the earth to moan a rumbling song that shook the foundations of the buildings and put all of the hairs on Tabby's body on edge. As every tendril of energy reached the peak of the dome, the rumbling subsided, a blue tinge filling the remnants of the Northern Quarter.

"We're trapped," a man mumbled next to her. "We're…we're doomed."

"Not entirely!" Nerevor's voice boomed over the large crowd. Every head swiveled to meet his eyes at the top of the steps to the entrance. "Every fighting man, woman and Pokemon is to meet inside for a war council! Olivier has made the last mistake of her weak siege! Come, my friends! Let us fight!"

###

The shield was up.

Olivier made her assistant repeat the words three times over before she truly believed it, and even then, she had to see it to believe it. The dome of blue energy had completely encircled Nerevor's ward, effectively beating them at their own game. If they wanted to remove the diodes, they'd have to come out from their little hideaway and expose themselves far too much to her forces. From there, Olivier could claim it was an attack and pick them off at her leisure.

And, the shadow whispered inside of her, it would give her more opportunities to increase her powers.

She was filled with such glee that she didn't even bother to hide the shadows away. They expanded over her quarters like a Scyther ready to lunge on prey, hounding for blood.

"Do not worry," Olivier whispered to herself, "there will be all the blood you want and then some."

A mad grin split her face, one that widened as she checked her computer for the day and saw the message from one of her top engineers.

"Have a car ready at the base of the tower," Olivier said into her intercom. "I want to be at the Hub in thirty minutes."

She swept off to change into her most prolific wear, both to impress and dress for her role as Governor once again. The media would be out in full force today, and one had to keep up appearances.

Just for a little longer.

Her crazed laugh bounced off the walls of her bedroom as she began to change.

###

Sanctuary was in uproar.

Some people were shouting about how this was the end, how Arceus had forsaken them and they were all going to die very, very soon. Others tried to calm those people down by shouting _over_ them, which lead to a whole lot of shouting for no goddamned reason.

There was a darker undertone to all of the shouting, radiating from the younger amongst the fighting force. Maybe, their minds whispered, maybe Corinth was right. Maybe Nerevor really was just an old fool.

Ren couldn't agree with that. Nerevor _was_ an old fool, but he wasn't _just_ an old fool. He had plenty of other redeeming qualities about him too.

"This is it," Ren heard Floyd say over the roar of the audience.

"Hopefully we know what we're doing," Tabby said. "I went over fifteen different moves last night, I haven't practiced _any_ of them and my head feels like it's going to explode."

"I certainly hope not," Floyd said, bumping Tabby's arm with his elbow. "We're going to need those brains of yours here soon."

Tabby grinned at him and Ren did her best not to throw up.

" **ATTENTION!"**

The Boomburst rippled over the crowd, and everyone in the hall fell completely silent, looking up at Nerevor. He looked old and tired, so very tired, but he was standing tall, something Ren had to respect. "Thank you. First, I must commend each and every one of you for remaining here today. With the luck of Victini and the will of Arceus, today and the days following will be cemented in our history as the first steps towards a liberated and truly free Snowpoint City. I would ask for a free and unbiased society towards magi, but one cannot have everything, so this will have to do." That got a hearty laugh out of the crowd, which was good. Morale was still yet to be broken. "With the help of our far-from-home friends and our brilliant leaders, we believe we've come up with a proper strategy to break Olivier's army and finally send her to the jailhouse where she will face a trial for all of her crimes…should she choose to submit, of course. Vanessa."

Vanessa stepped forward, wearing a long coat that covered her clothes. "As I'm sure you're all aware, that forcefield is up right now. It's not supposed to protect them as much as it is to keep us locked in here. Olivier wants every single person in here exactly where they are so she can make the demands once that bomb is ready to go off. So unless you all want to be stuck with me for another extra months," the men groaned good-naturedly, and Ren saw the ghost of a smile touch Vanessa's lips, "then I suggest you do as I ask. Any of my students that I deemed experts in the Ground type, any individual over 16 with Ground type Pokemon, and anyone else who is in good enough shape for a fight will meet with me after this meeting."

She nodded and stepped back while Griffin and Zero stepped forward. "Alright boys, girls, Pokemon, or maybe somethin' else in between, I've also got something to say. Real, real soon, I'm about to give the greatest radio talk you've ever _heard!_ It's gonna be crazy, so crazy that it'll hopefully have the civilian population of an entire city flocking towards the S.S Spiral on the Eastern Docks. When it goes down, my buddy Griffin," he clapped the older man on the shoulder, "is gonna be having you all working together to get as many people as possible on that boat. We can't afford to leave a single person behind in case things go south!"

Griffin nodded. "If you're a part of the security detail, the Night Watch, or the Morning Watch, you'll be with me. I also need a select set of any magi that are good with the Flying type."

"And that leads riiiight into me," Ren said, drawing up to full height. She had the pleasure of seeing the few who didn't know she could talk let their jaws hang to the ground. "Hi, hello. Talking Absol, right here. Anywho, yeah, there's gonna be fighting, and a whole lot of it. Our very own Tabby came up with the oh-so-clever method of taking down the defenses on those Elite Guards we all know and hate. The select few Flying experts that aren't going with Griffin are going to be pushing up with the main force right down Sanctuary Road. Vanessa's forces are gonna swoop underground and disable that shield, and we need to be ready for when she does." She felt her air of levity leaving her as she slipped into the tones Floyd used when telling people what to do.

Ah, telling people what to do. So refreshing.

"Squad A, you'll be composed of mostly Fire experts. You guys are gonna burn those Elite Guards to so many crisps it'll be impossible to tell what's what. Now normally their armor would turn aside your magic, but that's where Squad B comes in. Squad B, we need anyone who remotely knows how to use the move Defog, whether its Pokemon or human. Along with knocking out their defenses, you'll be fanning the flames and giving us an extra kick in our firepower. Squads C and D, you all will be our melee. Any Fighting type experts, we need you on the front lines with your Pokemon. Once Elites start dropping, you're going to see these things start falling to the ground." She nodded and Floyd unsheathed his lightsaber. A few of the wounded flinched away from the blade, while everyone else gazed in awe. "When you see them, pick them up so _they_ can't use them. These things will quite literally cut through anything they come in contact with for the most part, and they definitely work on the Elites. Instruct all of your Pokemon to use Brick Break to smash through the wards on their armors. E and F, you're the reserves. Use wards, the wind, the friggin' ground, space, I don't care. You make sure the Liberated won't pinch us in the streets, and we might have a shot of winning this thing."

"How do we know that your plan is going to work?" one woman asked. "You've included virtually everyone here. Does this mean…does this mean we're abandoning Sanctuary?"

"Yes," Nerevor answered. "The wards on the building will remain as they were before, but the wards around the entire quarter we've secured will go down. It will allow me to bring my full powers to bear."

"You didn't answer her question," another man said, and Ren noted once again that both questions came from around Corinth's age group. "How do you know this will work?"

Corinth's little regime had been built on the fact that Nerevor hadn't exactly been straightforward or been the commander-in-chief that his people had needed him to be. Maybe he did see it or maybe he didn't, but regardless, if morale _did_ break on the battlefield, they'd definitely lose.

So someone needed to tell them the truth.

"We don't," Ren admitted. "There's a good chance we could completely smash Olivier's army outside the wards and there's a good chance that everyone here is either taken prisoner or is killed in the battle."

Silence answered her. Floyd stirred a little next to her, but kept quiet.

"Everyone here knows exactly what you're fighting for, yeah?" Ren asked, raising her voice. "You don't want that son of a bitch Corinth to kill your wives and husbands and children and Pokemon, and you all _definitely_ don't want that _bitch_ Olivier ruling for another…I dunno, let's say fifty years, do you?" She shrugged again. "Truth be told, I don't give a damn. This isn't my city, and anything that happens here won't matter where I live. But what _everyone_ fighting here has in common is that we _all_ have something to lose. If I die here, I _never_ get to go home. You! The little stick that asked if the plan would work! You got someone you love that you're fighting for?"

The man blushed at the attention. "My fiance…he said he wants to get married after the siege is over."

Ren nodded. "And you, pigtail-girl! What about you?"

She also blushed and patted a Pokeball at her side. "My little Marill. I wouldn't want anything to happen to her…"

"And there you go! I'm willing to bet I could ask everyone in here and no one would say they had nothing to lose! Am I right?"

" _YES!"_

"So let me ask you this, men, women, and Pokemon of Sanctuary; are you going to let this jumped-up bitch of a Governor ruin your lives for a second longer?"

" **NO!"**

"Are you going to sit here with your tails between your legs and wait for the perfect opportunity to present itself while Olivier does what she pleases to _your_ city?"

" **NO!"**

" _Then you tell me what the **fuck** you're going to do!"_

" _ **WE WILL WIN! WE WILL WIN!"**_

The chant carried on by itself for easily a good five minutes, and the momentum Ren had gained over the crowd probably could have lifted the entire building off of its foundation and dropped it on Central Tower. Ren's sensitive ears rang with all the noise, but her heart had started beating a mile a minute, the fire in her blood howling for a good fight, a victory.

"Hell yes you will," Ren muttered, her voice easily swallowed by the noise. She blinked in surprise as a hand ruffled the fur on top of her head. Looking up, all she saw was one of Floyd's rare, beaming smiles as he mouthed, "Nice job."

The crowd might have needed her magnificent hype speech, but for Ren, that was all the motivation in the world.


	27. Chapter 25: The Storm

**Chapter 25: The Storm**

The official time for the operation was in less than three hours, which gave Floyd and Ren less than three hours to get the car completely operational again. As it turned out, there had already been a pile of Magnezone parts that had been, well, piling up in a parking garage that functioned as another watchtower near the ward border. They weren't in great shape, weathered by exposure and by the attacks that had brought them down with enough force to tear them apart, but they were functional enough for Ren's idea.

Floyd's heart swelled with pride as he watched her furry white butt wiggle to and fro as she examined the underside of the car. He'd been sure that she was going to go on a verbal tirade back in the hall. She had, but it seemed her love of hearing herself talk had its advantages.

"Boss are you gonna stand there and think about how great I am or are you gonna help me out?" Ren asked.

"How did you—"

"I can practically hear you being proud of me," she said, cutting him off. "Now where's that other Magnezone magnet?" Floyd smirked and brought it over, sliding underneath the car with her. "Slide that right in there." He did as she asked, and began screwing it in. "Boss."

"Yeah?"

"Look, uh…I know I say it all the time whenever we're, like, play-arguing…but I just want you to know that I, uh, love you, Boss." Floyd heard her swallow. "I don't say it sincerely enough most of the time and we might die for real this time, so…"

"You don't have to," Floyd said as he stopped drilling. "I know you do. And I love you too." He kissed the odd oval in the center of her forehead and the Absol turned a bit red. "Is that everything?"

Ren cleared her throat and tried to regain her tough-girl demeanor. "Yeah! Should be fit as a fiddle." They slid out from underneath the car and examined their handiwork. They'd managed to salvage four complete Magnezone magnets and some other spare parts that allowed the odd Pokemon to levitate in midair. If all went well, they'd _really_ just be levitating, but the thrusters would allow them to shoot forwards and actually gain momentum in the air. Floyd lowered the car to the ground and started the remote ignition. The regular functions on the ground seemed fine, and Floyd set the mode to 'HOVER'.

The car lifted off of the ground, the very air rippling underneath the chassis.

"Yes," Ren said. "Yes, yes, _yes!"_ The Absol squealed and leapt into Floyd's arms, and he couldn't help but do a little dance with her in celebration.

Everything was back to normal…for the most part anyways. They'd actually gotten a little bit lucky over the past few days.

Maybe, just maybe, there was a part of the universe that wanted them to win this fight.

With the way Light and Arceus seemed to be cursing him every other day though, he kept his fingers crossed.

###

Tabby re-read the same passage over and over and over again in one of the spell tomes suited for more powerful users of Fire magic. She'd figured she'd at least have a few days to study them, but now she only had an hour. Her friends in Squad A hadn't even had time to study them with her. She was the _only_ one looking at the advanced material. Maybe that wouldn't be enough. What if someone got hurt or killed because they didn't get the chance to read what she had? Maybe this wasn't a good idea. Maybe they _should_ stay in and wait for a better opportunity. Or maybe…

_Biff._

Snow slid down her face and Tabby let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks Blitz. I…I needed that."

"Infernape," Blitz agreed. One of his lanky arms wrapped around her shoulders, and Tabby couldn't help but laugh. "Fernape?"

"Nothing, it's just…can't believe this is actually about to happen," Tabby said. She looked down the street and saw the masses of Vanessa's students and underlings preparing their respective tunnels underground. "Everything we've worked for, everything Mom and Dad worked for…it's either getting undone or growing after whatever happens _today."_ She sighed. "My heart feels like it's about to jump out of my mouth. What about you?"

Blitz puffed out his chest and pounded a fist over where his heart would be. Tabby thought he was acting tough until he burped up a gout of flame and scratched his butt. "Infernape," he said with a shrug.

"Elegant as always," Tabby said, scratching behind his ears. "Whatever happens today, we stick together, alright?"

"Fernape," Blitz confirmed with iron certainty.

Over the next hour, the fighting force of Sanctuary gathered on the street. Final preparations were made, goodbyes were said to those too wounded or who wouldn't be any help in a fight. Tabby saw tearful goodbyes of the worried, the nonchalant goodbyes of the fearless, and the melancholy goodbyes of those uncertain of the future in the next 24 hours.

A lot was about to change.

She saw Squad A almost completely ready, 200 men and women potent with Fire magic gathered in front of her, to say nothing of their Pokemon helpers. Tabby saw a crowd of Torkoal that were encircled by some of the magi, just waiting on releasing their latent power to intensify the sun's rays. There were endless amounts of Simisear and Pansear, a few Heatmor, a _lot_ of Ponyta and Rapidash. Some were even riding their Pokemon into battle, though Tabby didn't know how that was going to fare them. Squad B showed up minutes later, the multitude of Pidgeot and Fearow and Golbat and Staraptor gathered in one place whipping up a wind as they were released from their Pokeballs. She watched Squad C and Squad D form as well, a lot of non-magi or weak magi gathered with a band of Fighting types to support, then E and F at their backs composed of…well, everyone else. She caught Nerevor's eye as he was giving final directions to some of the leaders. He nodded, a message passing between them as easily as it would with words, then turned back to his leaders. Everyone else was either inside, or preparing for the attack.

That left one person she needed to see, and she knew where he would be. Tabby made it to the front of the entire line, slightly taken aback by the tremendous magical power of Sanctuary's army, and scanned until…there he was!

She let out a sigh of relief to see he hadn't gone off to challenge Olivier just yet. "Floyd!"

He turned her way, his helmet folding back. "Hey. I didn't think I'd see you before we started."

She stopped just in front of him and looked him up and down. "You look ready."

He grimaced. "I've been in too many fights not to be. You be sure to keep your guard up when we get into the thick of it."

"Yeah, of course," Tabby said. "Where's Ren?"

"I'm having her stay back with Nerevor until the path is clear," Floyd said. "She knows how to command about as well as I do, so if he has any questions or if there's a call that needs to be made…well, I trust her to make it as much as I trust myself."

Tabby nodded. "And…and you're staying?"

"For the first part. Once I'm sure that you all can handle it, or once Olivier forces our hands, I'll be off." He paused. "But…it's more than likely that I won't see you until after this is _all_ over when the fighting starts."

"Right…after," Tabby repeated. "Floyd…you…you can't die."

"I know."

"Nonono," she rattled off. "You _cannot_ die. I won't have it."

Floyd smiled at that, damn him. "It might not be up to me."

"I know," Tabby said. "I'm freaking out about twelve different things right now, and I want everyone to come home safe but I'm…" She sighed and started over. "Look, I made a pointer promise with you, remember? No dying. Absolutely none, of _any_ kind. You need to live long enough so that I can keep my end of the promise. And…and you have people waiting on you back home, remember? You can't die on them, either."

Floyd considered that for a moment. Tabby wasn't sure what he'd say.

As it turned out, he said nothing.

But suddenly Tabby was in his arms, and the temperature around her shot up by an extra fifty degrees. Against his hard armor, Tabby expected to be uncomfortable, but he hugged her just right that she melded against him, not wanting to let go. Her arms found their way around his waist and his chin rested atop her head.

"I promise I won't die," Floyd said. "I'll come back to you."

Tabby stepped back and stared him in the eye. Something electric seemed to pass between them and shot right down her spine. Did he feel it too? Maybe. With his expression it was hard to tell.

But his word was good enough for now at least. "Right. Come back to me." Her throat seemed a little dry on those last words and she nodded. "Good luck, Black Sun."

Blitz snorted and followed her to Squad A, where she took her place at the very front of the line. "What are you laughing at?" she asked the Infernape as they settled in.

Blitz held his arms out in front of him and mimed (rather poorly) giving a big, wet kiss.

"Oh hush," Tabby said, though she couldn't keep the smile off her face. "You can be funny _after_ the morning festivities."

###

"Prepare to go underground!" Vanessa roared, and the command was repeated across her lines. The Pokemon all readied themselves to dig, and by Arceus, they would dig their fill and then some. Vance was raring to go, whether it was fighting or digging or both.

She spared a look back at the rest of the army. It looked so strong to her. It blazed with magical power to her senses, and to be honest, looking at it for too long made her head hurt a little.

Could they really win it all here?

She hoped so.

Her wedding ring grew heavier on her finger.

By Arceus, she hoped so.

###

"Looks like we're about to get started," Zero said, watching from the window. "Griffin, any tips?"

"Speak clearly and carefully," Griffin said. "Remember, you know these people, and the more that you can convince right now, the more that will come out to the ship that we can help. Mob mentality will kick in if you reach enough people. Be real, follow what you wrote."

On the table in front of him was a list of bullet points he wanted to hit. Floyd said the little device he and Ren had cooked up—seriously, they had a little bit of _everything_ in that car of theirs—would only give him clear, uninterrupted audio access for about five minutes before Olivier would undoubtedly have him ripped from the airwaves.

A lot of damage to either themselves or the enemy could be done in five minutes.

He took a deep breath and pressed the red "LIVE" button in front of him, leaning towards the mic.

###

Olivier took a drink from her water and pointed towards the next reporter who was beckoning with his hand in the air. The conference was going _great._ If she wasn't being overconfident, it seemed as though the media and public opinion outside of Snowpoint really was on her side.

She might not even have to unveil her present…not yet, anyways.

The reporter began to speak, but right before that, the P.A in the meeting hall came on, broadcasting the…emergency radio? It had to be. Nothing else would have overtaken the audio around them.

"Hello? This thing on? I'm, uh, guessing it is."

###

"People of Snowpoint City…I am Zero, the city Gym Leader." He swallowed. "I will be anyway, once this is all over. Today I'm begging with my allies in the Southern Quarter to talk to you about…"

He stopped. He hadn't even gotten to his first bullet point yet. But he knew how he sounded. He sounded forced, sounded…closed off, like he really was just reading from a sheet of paper.

Zero thought back to just this morning, when Ren had flipped an entire army's morale on its head.

He tried again.

"Alright look, for those of you who know me…you know being formal isn't really my thing, y'know? I'm not a negotiator, I'm not a…a peacekeeper. What I am is a Gym Leader. I like…I like watching the kids in our neighborhoods run up to me with their very first Pokemon they caught out in the forest, begging to take the Gym Challenge. I like watching two kids have their very first Pokemon battle out on the street, a Tackle fight goin' on while a bunch of other kids cheer 'em on. I like it because I used to _be_ one of those kids, man. Snowpoint's my home, and just like everyone listening more or less…it's probably yours too."

He glanced at Griffin, who nodded and gave him a thumbs up.

###

"I'm supposed to tell you how terrible the Southern Quarter is, how terrible the people are there and how we're being oppressed by them and them alone. But I can't. My family lives down there, man. I've got cousins and aunts and uncles that live in the Southern Quarter. They aren't bad people. They don't hate magic."

Olivier, with _barely_ controlled fury, spoke into her radio, "Get him off the air. Right. Now."

"What I can tell you about is Governor Olivier. And how…how terrible she's made _our_ home. Because, whether you like the Northern Quarter or the Southern Quarter or whatever quarter you want…it's still the same place, guys. And Olivier is planning to rip it all apart and share it with all of her friends in high places."

###

"I know that there have to be some of you out there that have seen things or done things that have made you question who you are. Where your loyalties lie. Why they lie there. Trust me, I get it. We all do. Olivier has committed so many crimes against…well, everyone that it's hard to even get a good number on them all. You might think you're the only one who feels this way, but you're not! I know that tons of you that are loyal to Olivier have seen her do something, or gotten an order from her that made you question what you're really fighting for."

Jonas looked around to his fellow guardsmen.

All of them were scowling at the radio…but they were listening.

###

"I know that tons of you have seen her change in this past month, seen her get really shaky and erratic, make some questionable decisions or get involved in some shady business or deals after hours."

Olivier's most trusted assistants, who were all huddled in the Central Tower lobby watching the press conference on the internet, all looked at each other knowingly.

###

"And…and I know that a lot of you are afraid and frustrated with how the world changed so much back when Team Galactic came out swinging in the second round. A lot of you lost someone in that war to magic. A lot of you have families, have people you want to protect. Olivier's made you a promise that they'll be safe, right? Listen to this; it's from one of her advisors."

Zero pressed a button labeled "CLIP 1".

" _Olivier will use our magical knowledge and our forces along with her army to remake Snowpoint in our image! First here, then all of the region! Perhaps even the world! It will be a new age for the oppressed, for all magi to live in the light!"_

"Or maybe this," Zero said. He pressed "CLIP 2".

" _The device, the bomb beneath the Hub…it is almost finished. A few days at most and Olivier will arm it. Only by doing what she instructs will she allow the innocent of Snowpoint to go free."_

"Corinth and all of the Liberated you've seen on TV," Zero continued. "That little sob story with the burns and the wounds? It's fake, all of it. The _Liberated_ that share that mentality are our enemies, as are the Elite Guards and Olivier herself. She doesn't care about you. She'd just as easily use you all as leverage to get whatever she wants."

###

Corinth couldn't believe what was happening.

He was watching from behind Olivier as one by one, the stares of reporter and cameraman alike began to become less questioning and more accusatory.

Around him, the regular human guards edged away from Corinth and his most trusted Liberated.

###

"I can sit here and tell you all about it, but I think they're going to knock me off the air soon."

The message echoed throughout the snow-covered streets, on the public radio, in the Southern Quarter shops and restaurants and homes.

 _Everyone_ was listening.

###

"So I can't detail all of Olivier's crimes. I can't force you to believe anything, I can't force you to do anything. So unlike Olivier, I'll ask instead." He took a deep breath. "I need you to stand up. I need anyone who has _any_ sort of doubt against Olivier to help us. To the media, ask yourselves if the city has seemed a little _too_ perfect since you got here. Do you really believe a city divided down the middle has this little problems on the other side? And to anyone who believes they can help, we need it now. The S.S. Spiral is currently anchored at the Eastern Docks. For the sake of your children, your families, anything you've ever loved…if you believe that there's even the slightest chance that Olivier is capable of killing you all without remorse, I'm begging you…please get there immediately. Form up with your Pokemon and stand up. Because if we don't, the Snowpoint City I love, all those memories…well…" Zero swallowed. "Then I guess after today…it'll just be wishful thinking."

He didn't use the full five minutes, but he tapped the "LIVE" button.

It went dark.

###

On the last word of Zero's magnificent speech, Nerevor slammed the end of his staff against the frozen asphalt of the street. A pulse of magic rippled from the impact and spread up and down every building in sight.

The ward shivered and began to collapse.

###

The press exploded with questions.

It was like a million punches being thrown at her all at once. Olivier dodged a few, but lost her composure. She stammered, misspoke, she wanted to scream and cry and kill.

One of her advisors didn't bother with subtlety, racing up to the mic with her and whispering in her ear.

"WHAT?" Olivier shrieked.

###

Vanessa let out a shout as she and her students made a twisting motion deep, deep underground. She felt the vibrations from all their digging, felt the vibrations from the collapsing ward Nerevor had brought down.

And most importantly, she felt one of the diodes Floyd had described, sitting deep in the earth.

For something so crucial to her plan, Vanessa found it quite easy to snap under a couple tons of earth.

###

" **GO!"** Nerevor's augmented voice boomed over the army. **"THE SHIELD HAS FALLEN! CHARGE! FOR SNOWPOINT!"**

" _ **FOR SNOWPOINT!"**_ the army roared. Pokemon snarled and barked and beat their wings as they took off, hooves pounded against the asphalt, and a sound like an avalanche roared in Tabby's ears.

It was the sound of thousands of feet slapping the pavement, all of them running towards the same destiny. She was running, then sprinting. She felt none of it, felt no fatigue, no fear.

Only adrenaline.

Tabby found herself screaming with the rest of them, a mad grin on her face as she took her fate into her own hands for the first time in years.

###

Floyd reached the front lines first, where a disorganized, frenzied army was struggling to even pull itself together to remotely receive a charge. The left and right wings of the assault rushed into the widening gap as both the mechanical and magical shields fell in the Northern Quarter.

Right after that, people began to get hurt. The front lines had Pokemon out, but they weren't ready for a full-scale assault, not like this.

Floyd unsheathed his lightsaber and crashed into the regular men, maiming or killing if he had to with every blow. A legion of Medicham soared into the air and brought feet wreathed in crimson light crashing into Mightyena or Abomasnow that had put out to watch the border. The humans themselves fared well, some flinging spheres of Fighting energy into the battle while others roared a battlecry and literally fought alongside him.

The first part of the defense completely shattered underneath the furious assault, and Floyd saw the first of a massive charge of Elites just as a howling gale picked up from behind. Seconds later, what looked to be about 50 Flying types zipped overhead, beating their wings much harder and much more than they needed to. The wind was like a physical thing in his path, stopping everyone from moving before rippling further down the street. Only his car, manned by the artificial intelligence alone, was unhindered in the air. Floyd brought up his right arm and pressed down on a button on the remote control. The car shifted from following a flight path to intimidation mode, and a hail of missiles rained from the skies, pushing the regular humans of Olivier's front into abandoned buildings to clear the way for spells.

"Hold!" Floyd boomed to the melee charge, steering his car out of the incoming spells. "HOLD!"

The men heeded his command and took a few cautious steps back as a second sun appeared in the sky above them.

Then a third, and a fourth, and a fifth.

Floyd counted up to nineteen before he was unable to any longer. There were simply too many.

The suns fell from the sky.

###

" _NOW, BLOW THEM AWAY!"_ Tabby screamed to her neighbors. All of the Fire type Pokemon had been given the task of maintaining the Sunny Day so that the magi could bring their magic to bear. Tabby had never seen a summer where it was unbearably hot out, but this had to be what it was like. The heat from all of the Fire types pouring their essence into changing the weather beat against her face, and it was all Tabby could do to keep the stinging sweat out of her eyes.

But she took it, and used that blistering heat to charge the largest fireball that she could.

With roars of their own, the sun-charged fireballs of 200 Fire type experts joined into one and flew in a lazy arc overtop of the massive charge of Elite Guards.

"Down!" Tabby commanded, and to her surprise, they all listened. As one fluid motion, her squadron swung both hands down.

The massive fireball broke apart and a rain of fire fell from the sky.

The explosions were impressive.

The Defog fanned the flames and gave them more oomph, just like Ren had said they would, and their efforts annihilated the charge of Elites. She saw their metal bodies go up in howling columns of flame, saw the earth peel and bubble from the terrible heat of the firestorm they'd created. It lashed and seethed, reclaiming the tethered undead life and burning away its coils to Olivier in Central. A thunderclap and a rush of hot air rolled over the army, but that didn't stop her.

It didn't stop anyone.

" **ADVANCE!"** Nerevor commanded.

The army of the true Snowpoint City marched forward just as another surge of Liberated and guardsmen ran towards them.

But there was something different about this charge.

When Tabby realized what it was, she nearly cried.

###

They were surrendering.

A young man with the Liberated who was barely old enough to grow hair on his chest threw himself at Floyd's feet, begging him not to kill him and to let him live. He pledged undying loyalty to Nerevor for as long as he lived, and was willing to give up his Pokemon and his magic to prove it.

It was both Liberated and common guardsmen. Floyd felt the overwhelming pressure of the magical army behind him, and it was likely everyone else could too. The regular men came out and surrendered by the hundreds, and Floyd was certain that all but the most fanatic of the Liberated had surrendered as well.

Behind the mass surrender was another wall of Elites, maybe a hundred strong. Olivier was either throwing them at them in droves, or it was enspelled in their dark magic. Whatever the case, Floyd didn't feel the heat that his body interpreted Fire magic as. Likely they needed time to recharge.

"You want to help?" Floyd asked, pulling the boy to his feet. "Get back there and give them some help with their spells. Go!"

The young man nodded frantically and scampered off, many of his followers doing the same.

###

The shield had been breached. It had been up for less than half a day, and it had been breached. The diode system had been flawed, but it should have bought her some time. It failed.

She felt inside her many, _many_ pulses of dark magic suddenly vanish. A great many of her Cleansers had been atomized.

Nerevor was attacking. An ambush that no one had expected in the slightest, timed right after that damned speech.

The press was hounding her.

And to make it worse, her advisors had pulled her off the stage to update her on the civilian situation; Zero's message had worked. It wasn't everyone, but there was a massive spike in foot and Pokemon air traffic, as well as a _very_ long traffic line on the roads to the Eastern Quarter and to the docks.

And because the S.S Spiral wasn't hers to command, they'd heeded Zero's warning as the public began begging and pleading to board.

Snowpoint was beginning to empty, and apparently many of the guardsmen were speeding along the process of getting there, standing at intersections and guiding traffic.

In just five short minutes, everything Olivier had put her own blood, sweat, and tears into for _years_ was completely thrown out the window by one speech.

It was over.

The Psionic, if he wasn't resting, was going to kill her very, very soon.

Perhaps even in the next minute.

 _No,_ the shadow screamed. _We can win!_

All she had to do was let go.

Everything had been undone. She was dead anyways. Even if she managed to rally her army and beat back Nerevor, the damage was already done. The Pokemon League would surely hear about the press conference, and with the majority of the public believing them, it was only a matter of time before the Sinnohian army was knocking on her front door.

They'd find her mangled corpse courtesy of the Psionic and her dreams would be lost.

But she wouldn't go down like this.

She knew _exactly_ who was to blame for all of this. For getting the message on the air, for giving Nerevor and his lackeys the courage to attack, for seeing through the plan and discerning the use of the diodes.

The shadows boiled out from every pore in her body, and she killed almost a hundred people in a heartbeat as she let her rage, fear, and frustration loose in one terrible, blood-curdling scream.

###

Floyd dueled one of the said-fanatics of the Liberated who just wouldn't go down without a fight. He was one of the rare ones who wanted to get up close and personal, wielding two razor-sharp axes of ice that looked like they could cut through his armor. The blades shrieked against his armor and very nearly cut into his flesh after two near-misses. The Liberated was good, but his rage was driving him. He wasn't paying nearly enough attention to his surroundings.

The army marched closer, and by extension, the mass Sunny Day.

The axes literally melted in the Liberated's hands, and what was supposed to be a swing turned into a stumbling punch. Floyd could have cut his throat as easily as he could have taken a breath, but something in him rankled. Once again, his opponent was younger than he ought to have been, another young mind warped by Corinth. He easily sidestepped the punch and backed away.

"Surrender," Floyd said, pointing his lightsaber blade.

The Liberated looked at him, eyes wide with fear. Floyd thought he had him convinced, right up until electricity crackled around his fingers. With a scream of rage or maybe fear, the Liberated lifted his hands to blast him. Before Floyd could even move, the boy's legs collapsed from under him, and he stumbled to the ground with a cry of pain. A flash of claws opened his throat and he fell dead to the ground.

"You're getting soft, dumbass," Ren remarked as she stepped around, not sparing the corpse a second glance. "You alright?"

"Good. Nerevor?"

"Ecstatic," Ren replied. "In fact…I'm thinking this one is about over."

The charge of Elites had been met with such extreme force, Floyd felt…unneeded. True to her word and as reliable as the sunrise, Vanessa and her students had popped up behind the Elites with Ground magic ready. As soon as the Defog took out their warding spells, slabs and spikes of earth ripped from the ground to pierce the undead flesh at their heads, stabbing through the fine armor or crushing them into wobbling plates. Being undead, the Elites didn't even try to surrender, but instead fought to the death. There were more dead than Floyd would have liked from the melee push in Squads C and D, but they'd come out of what should have been a shutout of a battle in tremendously good health. The car also helped in the skies; the Pokemon were vulnerable to magical attack, but a 4-ton behemoth of steel and weaponry wasn't. Some of the Elites teamed up to blast it with icicles, but they shattered against the stronger steel of Floyd's earth, and thanks to the wards being disabled, the car reacted with extreme force and blew them into tiny pieces.

Snowpoint would be burying its dead for sure, but there would be far many more undead to burn.

"Good," Floyd said. "Let's go see—"

" _ **FLOOOOOYD!"**_

A pillar of shadow so dark it looked like a crack between worlds erupted from Central and leapt up to kiss the sky and its clouds. A second later, a vortex of swirling sorrow and misery flared to life above Central, the shadows billowing out in hundreds of tentacles to absorb the souls of the recent dead.

"It's happening again!" Ren shouted as the world began to shake apart. "This is what happened when you were out!"

"She knows!" Floyd shouted back. "This is it! We need to go now! You ready?"

"If it means we get to leave this place and never come back afterwards, I'm ready for anything!" Ren exclaimed with a manic grin. Floyd recalled her to her Pokeball, making sure he had both on his belt.

He wanted to say goodbye to Tabby. He wanted to make sure she was still alive. But they were out of time, and things were getting worse.

He heard the army cheer behind him as light came at his call, cutting a bright path through the storm of shadows as he mentally prepared to face the tyrant once and for all.

###

Tabby watched as the army dispersed and began to divide the camp into sections. There were already some of Olivier's patrols coming from the east and west, and they'd likely try to flank them if they got the chance. Sanctuary would be safe, but if they caught unawares, they'd take casualties.

Especially because the fight wasn't over.

"Corinth," Tabby muttered, glancing towards the pillar of shadow to the south.

Floyd was flying right towards it, now barely a speck in the distance. Corinth hadn't been among the Liberated that had either fought to the death or surrendered, and Tabby was sure that he was in Central alongside Olivier, given his status as leader among the Liberated.

Corinth hated Floyd almost as much he hated Nerevor, but for what reasons, Tabby couldn't say. Regardless, if Floyd had to fight both him and Olivier at the same time, especially with how powerful her shadow powers seemed to be…

No.

No, that wouldn't happen.

She grabbed one of the Abra that was hurrying back and forth delivering messages. "Tell Nerevor that I went to help Floyd. Tell him I went to distract Corinth. Don't wait, just tell him! Go!"

The Abra teleported away and Tabby found her ride. Beneath the terror and seriousness of the situation, her inner child squealed. She'd always wanted to ride one of these.

She managed to start it without killing herself, and after putting Blitz in his Pokeball, she rode the speeder bike at breakneck speeds down the road, letting the fire inside her rise high into the sky as she did.

###

Corinth flinched from within the wreckage of the press center. Something that was no longer human was standing in Olivier's place, wearing her skin, her clothes…

The flesh webbed with black veins and a deathly chill turned towards him, the eyes like pits into a bottomless void.

Yes, it was most definitely not human. Not even a Pokemon.

Something else.

His mind was briefly taken off of that though as a flicker of magic pulsed to his senses. He knew it well enough by now. No one wielded the magic of fire that hot besides Nerevor, and his presence was much further north than the one approaching.

"Tabby," he growled.

"Deal with the bitch," Olivier commanded, a buzzing voice overlaying with her regular one. "I will fight Floyd."

"I can handle an outlander," Corinth said. "You—"

Olivier's shadow split into six, all of them pointing at him through the floor. "Can you _handle_ me? Do as I say…I will make it worth your while if you can deliver her to me alive. I want to see Floyd's expression when I make her suffer in front of him."

The shadows wrapped around her and seemed to devour her, and when it was over, she was gone.

Corinth looked down to his left. He hadn't even realized it, but Lydia had been here today. Her dark eyes stared at nothing, her skin as pallid as Olivier's. She hadn't been strong enough to resist the sudden pulse of magic, hadn't been strong enough to maintain a ward. Her soul had quite literally been sucked from her skin.

Maybe he hadn't either. Olivier had likely chosen to keep him alive.

He grew even colder inside, grief gnawing at his heart. Hale and Lydia were dead. So many of the Liberated who had followed him…all dead.

He had nothing more to live for. They'd taken _everything._

Well.

He'd just have to take _everything_ from _them_ _!_

Corinth strolled from the wreckage and stood outside of the press center, letting his power flare and settling down to wait.


	28. Chapter 26: Pyromancer Tabitha

**Chapter 26: Pyromancer Tabitha**

Getting through Central was harder than the fight Tabby had just been in, and she had thought that would be hard. She covered the land that had been deserted and not claimed by Olivier's army in no time at all, and managed to steer her speeder bike away from the walls to stop herself from turning into a bloody paste against them.

A few minutes later, Tabby was in the city proper, and it was stark madness.

Zero's message had definitely gotten through to the people, and while some of them may have hated Tabby and the people she was associated with, it seemed that they hated Olivier, the Liberated, and her Elite Guards far more. She was forced to slow down her speeder to what was probably a crawl for its standards and zip past the meandering lines of heavy traffic as families jammed themselves into their cars, nothing but bodies packed within.

If that bomb went off before they were ready, it wouldn't matter what they brought. Tabby was glad they understood that at least.

"Beep beep! Sorry, coming through!" Tabby shouted, preceding her appearance to shocked strangers along the sidewalks. They were smaller families or individuals making their way to the Eastern Docks with their Pokemon or significant others, far more than Tabby would have thought to actually listen to Zero.

When she reached Central proper, she saw why. The regular human guardsmen had holstered their weapons, and were instead using their Pokemon and their authority to speed the flow of traffic to the east. The pillar of shadow loomed in the distance, much closer than before, and Tabby felt the same kind of pressure radiating from it like she had felt from Regigigas, if not a tiny bit weaker.

A blip of white light intersected with the pillar and then disappeared within it.

"Floyd," Tabby muttered. She stopped her speeder bike near the curb and contemplated her next move. If she made for Central Tower, it was likely Corinth might be there…or maybe she should head to the press center. Olivier had called a press conference earlier in the morning. Maybe he was there.

Her thoughts turned to alarm as a gloved hand closed around her mouth and lifted her off the bike.

"Don't fight and shut up if you want to live, damn it!" a voice hissed in her ear.

Tabby's eyes darted around frantically as she was dragged to an alleyway nearby and forced into a corner. Two men stepped in front of her and blocked her from view as the last one kept his hand over her mouth, his bloodshot eyes focused and hard.

"Jonas?" Tabby's muffled voice called out in shock.

"Shut up!" he snapped.

A few minutes later, the shaking of the earth seemed to magnify, and a sound like a thousand boots marching against the street rang in her ears. A column of Elite Guards had started a death march north, and from the looks of it, it had to be almost every single Elite that Olivier had in reserve, maybe 600 of the freakish guards in total at least.

If one of them spotted her, it was _over._ There was absolutely no way she'd be able to fight that many.

But the guards in front of her didn't waver, didn't offer help to any of the terrified citizens who flinched away from the long procession. They merely saluted, blocking her from view as the soldiers passed. Tabby's heart thumped wildly in her chest, her breathing slight as she tried to make herself as small as possible.

After five minutes, the last of the column marched out of sight. Tabby counted another few minutes and the rumbling in the ground dropped back to its regular levels. They were gone.

She let out a sigh of relief as her legs threatened to turn to water. "I can't believe I'm saying this but…thanks, Jonas."

"Yeah, yeah," Jonas spat, waving her off. "I'm not doing it for you. Don't think I'm not wise to your friends and their little tricks and illusions. I still don't trust you or that old man for one second. But what Zero said…I knew he'd been working with you all for Arceus knows what reason…but…he had a good point."

"Who was it?" Tabby asked.

"She threatened my wife," Jonas said, and to her surprise, a pang of sympathy hit Tabby from his expression. "Add that up with the hell she was creating last week, those weird guards that smell like rotting flesh…no, we were done. Where's your little boyfriend?"

Tabby bit back a snippy retort and poked her head out of the alley. "I saw him flying into that shadow."

"Looks like it's coming from Central Tower," Jonas said.

"Have you heard anything about the bomb?" Tabby asked, checking the speeder bike. Luckily the Elites had left it untouched.

"I was on guard duty at the Hub last week," Jonas said. "From all the commotion, plus Olivier going to visit this morning…well, I think it might be finished."

"What?" Tabby asked, ice slivering down her stomach.

"I don't know for sure," Jonas said, shrugging. "What I do know is once I get a few more people through the Eastern Quarter gate, I'm out of here." He scowled at her, and jabbed a finger towards her nose. "You'd best use that…that magic of yours and that damned Infernape to beat that witch. Otherwise I'll have you arrested and thrown in jail when we come back."

Tabby threw him a cocky grin and nodded. "For once, I think I'm going to follow your orders." She hopped back on the speeder bike. "And Jonas, seriously."

He arched an eyebrow.

"Thank you."

Jonas let out a noise of disgust. "I don't need your gratitude. Now get going!"

Tabby smirked and shot down the sidewalk, heading towards the massive surge of icy power she felt to the southwest.

###

Corinth waited.

And waited.

Compared to the rest of the city, where he was standing was almost hauntingly silent. All he could feel was the thrum of the cold, dead power of Olivier's shadows shaking the very earth itself…and sorrow. A deep pain that was colder than NeverMeltIce. It clawed at his heart like a physical thing, and belatedly, he realized he was crying. Crying for his parents, for Hale, for Lydia, for all of the Liberated who had died today and before thanks to Nerevor and his lackeys.

He owed it to them all to wipe Tabby off the face of the planet here and now.

And it seemed that Arceus agreed with him.

One moment the street before him was empty.

The next, a woman and an Infernape stepped out into the street.

The tears stopped, and Corinth was…confused.

Tabby had changed in the last few weeks. Not physically, except for maybe looking a little haggard. It was in her mannerisms, the way she carried herself. Two months ago, Tabby had always seemed a little unsure of herself, doubtful, cautious. She'd had nothing to believe in.

Hopeless.

In a way, she'd been a perfect candidate to be recruited into the Liberated.

But there was no way the woman standing before him was that same person, because the fire in Tabby's eyes was rivaled only by the pyre of flame that flickered atop her Infernape's head. Every inch of her body screamed danger to Corinth's trained eyes, and she quite literally blazed with the magical power of Fire to his senses.

She'd completely shattered her previous limitations, and there was a chance that she didn't even know it yet.

Turning his head to the north, Corinth saw that power multiplied hundreds of times over, and it was moving south. If the Fire magi reached just a little bit closer, Tabby would be able to fully harness the effects of Sunny Day.

She'd kill him or he'd kill her.

It was that simple.

"Corinth." Her voice was soft, yet firm as she stepped towards him with her hands raised. "We don't have to do this." He stayed silent, and Tabby continued to speak. "If we work together…if we help Floyd beat Olivier…your parents _will_ get justice, along with everyone else killed by all of this…this hatred and prejudice."

"Will Hale?" he asked.

Tabby pursed her lips. "He was working with the Elites."

"Who dealt the final blow? Was it you? Was it Vanessa?"

Tabby was the one who fell silent this time, and the ice around Corinth's heart seemed to drop to sub-zero temperatures.

"It was _him, wasn't it?"_ Corinth snarled. _"You couldn't even do it yourself? YOU WATCHED HIM KILL HALE? **AND YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO ASK ME TO SURRENDER?"**_

"He would have betrayed us the second we turned our backs," Tabby said, though there was more than a note of unsteadiness there. "I'm…I'm sorry Corinth. But there wasn't another option."

" _Sorry?"_ Corinth roared. "Well, I'm sorry too!"

A mountain of ice erupted behind Corinth, waves of cold rippling from the structure to form a protective dome of freezing air around his body.

" _I'm sorry that your little boyfriend and Nerevor won't get to see what I do to you!"_ he shrieked. _"I'm tired of you fools and traitors and liars and cowards getting away with murdering your betters! It's time to pay!"_

With an enraged, near-bestial howl, Corinth willed the air itself to shoot him forward, blurring towards Tabby with a burst of speed and determined to tear her apart.

###

Floyd cut through the torrent of shadows like a comet cuts through the night sky, light radiating from the sun on his chest and forcibly repelling the shadows from touching him. The pillar of shadow had grown in diameter over the last minute, now enveloping Central Tower completely as well as parts of the neighboring buildings. He didn't even waste time starting at the bottom, and instead flew to the roof, where the top of the skyscraper reached out to touch the clouds.

Olivier awaited him, and she did not look well at all.

Floyd touched down beneath her, looking up at the tyrant for the first time in person in almost a month.

The Ghost Plate was devouring her. Whatever cold, harsh beauty had been present before had been washed away and replaced with graying dead skin and a web of black veins that pumped the shadow into every cell of her body. Her clothes had been artificially dyed a black almost as deep as the shadows billowing around the tower, likely a result of the Ghost Plate itself. Her eyes were like pits into a bottomless void, and Floyd felt a pressure weigh on him as she focused her attention on him.

Olivier had already died. Whatever was standing in her place was…something else.

"The savior," Olivier jeered. "Come to kill me at last, yes?"

"I don't have time for this Olivier," Floyd said. The sound of opening Pokeballs filled the air, and he was surrounded by Onyx and Ren, both ready to fight and the fur on their bodies standing on end. "You know what you are. You know what you've done. It's time to die."

"Oh my!" Olivier cried, feigning shock. She took one step forward and the shadow at her feet split into seven different ones that rotated around her body. "Not even going to offer surrender? How cold of the famed hero of the people! Well I can tell you, my dear Floyd, that you've—"

Floyd activated Light Speed, swooped in behind Olivier, and buried his lightsaber to the hilt through her back. Ripping it upwards nearly cleaved her in two, and another quick chop sheared through her neck like paper.

The charred corpse fell to the ground and dissolved into shadow.

"Fine," Olivier's voice radiated from everywhere and nowhere. "No formalities, then? A shame. But no matter."

Sixteen pillars of shadow erupted on the wide rooftop, and in their places were Elite Guards.

But they were changed.

The armor they usually wore, a carbon copy of his with a color change, had taken on a grotesque, rotting look. The plates oozed black slime. Their shadows danced a mad jig at their feet. A sickening chill and aura seeped from their bodies. Ren barked a curse, both her and Onyx leaping back to keep all of their enemies in sight.

"Do you like my puppets? I do. Their souls are mine, offerings to the void. I can't wait for you to see it when you die! But just before you do, I'll be sure to let you watch Corinth take Tabby's head with your own lightsaber! Or maybe I'll reanimate your body and have you do it yourself!" A mad tone of glee dripped from her words. "So many choices! But I'm afraid it all ends the same way; Cleansers! Kill them all!"

The Elites…no, the Cleansers moved in with chilling silence despite their horrible appearances, and Olivier reformed hovering above the empty space above the streets below, forming a Shadow Ball to blast him and his Pokemon to ashes.

###

Zero zipped through the skies on Snowflake and watched the city from above. To the north, a battle was about to start. An army of…well, probably the rest of Olivier's guards was marching to meet Sanctuary's forces.

True they could Defog the protective spells on the armor but…that was a _lot_ of Elite Guards.

He didn't know who was going to win.

"Stay focused, damn it," Zero muttered to himself. His friends had their jobs and he had his. "Snowflake, get us in closer…right _there!_ See that old guy wavin' everyone onto buses and stuff, with the kids! Drop us there!"

Snowflake dipped down to the street and Zero hopped off, already running as he hit the ground. "Dad!"

"Zero?" his father, Marshall, asked. "Is that you?"

Zero crashed into his dad with a bear hug. "I'm glad you're okay, pops." He'd gone and grown a bit smaller since the last time Zero had seen him, and his graying hair was turning a little white, but other than that, he looked in good health.

His dad hugged him tight, ruffling his hair. "Still, ah, not wearing more clothes? One day you _will_ catch frostbite."

"Ah whatever, we don't have time for that right now," Zero said, waving him off. "What's the word?"

"Everyone heard your story," Marshall said, glancing up the line of traffic. "Docks are only a few minutes from here, but with all of the cars backed up, it'll be years before we get everyone on board."

"It's better than leaving people behind," Zero said. "What are you doing right now?"

"Getting some of the older people onto the buses," Marshall said. "The boys and I are going to walk to the docks."

"I'll come with you," Zero decided. "Snowflake, get back up into the air. Make sure all of our scouts are okay and see if they need any help!"

"Cryo!" Snowflake bumped Zero affectionately and rocketed up into the sky. Zero didn't spare a glance to watch her go, instead turning to help an old man out of his wheelchair and onto a bus.

Hopefully they wouldn't be too late.

Explosions roared in the distance as Zero's stomach twisted into knots.

"Arceus, I don't know if you're listening or not," Zero said as his father began herding some of the Gym Trainers outside. They were all no older than eleven, and were wards of the city now. "But come on man. Give us a break. I got these kids and my dad and everyone else to take care of. Just…let my friends be okay, too."

A plume of white smoke ripped from the ground to touch the sky in the distance.

###

Tabby fought for her life.

If she made a single mistake, she would die. Corinth would make absolutely certain of that.

Corinth roared with all the savagery and ferocity of an enraged Beartic, his fingers hooked into claws as he raked them through the air. With a pulse of freezing air, it thickened into razor sharp shards of ice thicker and longer than her forearm and shot forward in a hail of death.

Tabby took a deep breath and swept her hands before her. The very edges of the Sunny Day spell were available to her, and a howling inferno leapt to her call. Blistering hot air seared the pavement at her feet, reducing it to bubbling grease as the volley of ice shards melted. Corinth leapt up into the sky and kicked downwards with both feet, a withering vortex of cold screaming down to freeze the blood in her veins. She drew the heat from the pavement back into herself and wrapped it into a shell like Corinth had just before the spell hit, and the fatal cold that would have killed a hundred men merely caused a violent spasm to go through her limbs.

She remembered one of the few things from the spell tomes; fire was life, and resonated from the breath.

Tabby breathed fire, her body temperature shooting back up to normal, and returned the favor. She soared into the air, bringing her foot down in a chopping Blaze Kick as Corinth touched down from his attack. A blast of flame as wide as the street itself roared towards Corinth, and it was all the Ice mage could do to maneuver around the blast, the resulting explosion causing his wall of ice to go up in a dazzling array of steam and smoke.

"Go Blitz!" Tabby screamed.

"INFERNAPE!" Blitz shrieked, darting forward. Tabby pressed her palms to the ground, and summoned as much Ground magic as she could hold, raising a multitude of different earthwork walls just wide enough for Blitz to push off of. Corinth stopped his charge and spun back and forth trying to keep track of Blitz' movements. For a moment, even Tabby lost him as he displayed the natural agility and grace of his species, becoming nothing more than a blazing blur of flame as he leapt around. The first attack came from behind, Blitz kicking Corinth square in the back. With a wail of pain, he dug his feet into the ground to stop himself from sliding, then doubled over in agony as Blitz buried his fist to the wrist in his gut. Corinth lost what was left of breakfast at his feet, and Tabby surged forward, triumph carrying her fist home. If she could knock him to his feet, maybe she could still restrain him and make him see reason.

If not…well, Floyd had warned her earlier what she might have to do.

Another pulse of Ice magic washed over the battlefield, and Corinth let loose an ear-piercing scream. Blitz jumped back a second too late as a whirlwind of ice and freezing air erupted from Corinth's body and slapped him fifty feet into the air. Tabby dodged a slab of ice that would have caved her skull in and was instead taken unawares by an Ice Beam that leapt from Corinth's outstretched hand. The Fire magic simmering around her muted most of it, but the impact still hurt like a punch to the face, and Tabby was sent sprawling on the frozen earth, unable to breathe for a moment.

She managed to lift her head long enough to see Corinth lift another hand and blast Blitz out of the sky with another Ice Beam, a gigantic cloud of icy smoke forming from the attack.

His limp body fell from the sky and landed a little ways to the south where Tabby could not see him.

She didn't know what she did next. She screamed, that was for sure, but what she screamed was unintelligible. Maybe it was Blitz' name. Maybe it was just a scream. What she _did_ know was insurmountable, unfathomable rage.

The fire inside of her blossomed into that from a spewing volcano, of rampant lava and fire and destruction, and Tabby let it loose with that one terrible scream. Her hands raised upwards, the earth at her feet parted and cracked, shifting in on itself as she remembered traversing through Registeel's caverns.

Seconds later, a storm of lava erupted from beneath the earth, rising up to devour Corinth where he stood. He swore loudly and called all of the Ice magic he could, beginning to blast fountain after fountain of spewing magma from the earth's core.

Tabby didn't give a damn, and sprinted away to the south. Panic drove her every step, along with the knowledge that if Blitz was killed, she would likely lose control and burn herself up in the process. She already felt feverish.

But luckily she found him. He'd crashed right through the edge of a rooftop, landing in an alley amidst garbage and broken bricks. She cleared away the debris and lifted her best friend's head gently, cleaning away the blood from his nostrils.

"Blitz?" Tabby pleaded, tears shimmering at her eyes. "Blitz, god damn it, stay _with me!"_

Blitz coughed and sputtered, his eyes fluttering as they looked at her, unfocused. "In…fernape?" he coughed out.

Tabby nodded, sniffling and wiping away tears. "It's okay. It's okay, I'm here. I…I'm so sorry! I…this was a bad idea! I wasn't thinking properly! I should have…I should have never run off! I was stupid to think that I could beat Corinth! You're hurt and I don't… I don't know if I can…"

"Infernape!"

Tabby expected snow, but instead felt his iron grip on her arm even through his weakened state. His blue hand grabbed her chin and tilted her head up to look him in the eye. He brushed away the tears, then drew his hands back to mime.

A shake of his head. A cupped hand to his ear. Two fingers. Then a pointer finger at her head. And then a cupped hand to his ear. Two fingers.

Then his pointer finger to her heart.

Tabby could always figure out the meaning of his grunts and repetitions of his name through context, but this silent message was the clearest of them all.

Was fighting Corinth one-on-one a bad idea? Yes. Was fighting someone who had control of one of Arceus' life forces a bad idea? Yes. Was leaving the fate of Snowpoint…maybe even the rest of Sinnoh up to one random battle a bad idea?

Yes.

She knew that. Her brain screamed at her, called her an idiot, a fool for letting Nerevor, Vanessa, Griffin, Zero, Floyd, and Ren go off to fight this battle. Her brain told her that the smart thing to do, the choice that kept everyone alive, was to go along with whatever Olivier suggested. It was to return Blitz to his Pokeball and run for her life towards the Sanctuary army, because surely she couldn't do this by herself.

But her friends…no, her _family…_ each and every one of them was fighting today, fighting for their lives even though they _knew_ that they could all die here today.

It wasn't a good idea.

But they weren't listening to rationality.

They were listening to their hearts. Hearts that yearned for justice, for freedom, for the Snowpoint, for the _world_ they'd once known.

What did Tabby's heart say?

 _We can,_ it whispered, its voice growing stronger. _We must. And we know how._

Tabby stood up and took a deep breath. "Blitz. Can you fight?" She helped Blitz to his feet, and he took a few unsteady steps. "I don't need you alongside me, but I need you ready for one good strike. Nerevor is right…and so are you." She smiled. "Thank you, buddy. For everything."

She made a fist, her flames no longer a dark orange, but a bright yellow…almost white.

And they were growing hotter.

###

Corinth leapt back, teeth grit as he let another Blizzard wash over a crater that vomited lava high into the air. The molten rock cooled rapidly and hardened into chunks, and the last of the fountains faded. He then leaned against one of the remnants of Tabby's odd earthwork walls and applied a weak Safeguard to his burned leg. Luckily he'd managed to get away mostly unburned, but the heat of the damn fountains themselves had nearly cooked him in a few places. He bit down on his sleeve as he did so, pain rippling through him in waves.

Lava Plume. How had Tabby become so strong? Her rage shouldn't have been enough to draw out that much lava in such a short period of time.

Olivier would just have to deal with it. Tabby was much too dangerous to be kept alive. He cast his magical senses over the calming battlefield ravaged with miniature volcanoes and frozen rock. He saw the battle to the north, felt the evil magic slightly to the south and…

And a sizzling heat right behind him.

Corinth had absolutely no time to react as Tabby's fist smashed his teeth in.

###

Tabby decided to listen to what her heart was now screaming at her, and it seemed that both it and her brain were in agreement on one thing. Corinth was a 120 pound stick of a 24-year old man who trained his mind, not his body. Tabby had walked Route 217 more times than she could count, sparred with Blitz from time to time, and had passed Vanessa's grueling physical fitness test when she'd graduated with flying colors.

She could kick Corinth's ass.

With a battle cry, Tabby buried her fist into Corinth's mouth, the red light of the Mach Punch dying away as she ducked under a sweep of his hooked fingers and blew him away with a Fire Punch. Corinth screamed as he was sent hurtling back into midair, blood flying from his mouth as he crashed into some of the earthen walls. He managed to catch himself out of a painful crash landing and kicked a gale of freezing wind towards her.

Tabby wreathed herself in white flames, and instead of rooting herself, shot forward.

She understood.

Her teachers had always told her how dangerous it was to be her. To be naturally inclined with fire was to invite destruction. She needed to be controlled, always in control. Never let your impulses guide you, they said. You'll lead anyone you care about to ruin if you ever lose control.

But that was the next step, wasn't it? It was stepping away from the passivity that Nerevor preached, the very thing that had turned Corinth in the first place. It wasn't completely letting go of control, not losing herself in an inferno…but _allowing_ her impulses to drive her, _willingly_ letting her emotions fuel her magic.

That knowledge made Corinth hers.

Her rage burned through the glacial winds Corinth conjured, her wheel of flame smashing through the objects in her path and leaving melted asphalt in her wake. Her rage over people like Olivier who had taken her mother and father away from her, her rage over Corinth hurting her best friend.

That rage carried Tabby to Corinth, and allowed her to bury her boot in his stomach. He gagged again, and was slapped away by a flaming heel strike. His own boots crunched into the ground as ice manifested around his ankles and held him fast. A guttural roar ripped from his throat as an army of floating icicles glittered into existence and flashed towards her head, neck, and chest.

She feared for her life. She feared for Nerevor, for all of her friends and family that had fought so long to get this far.

She feared for Floyd and Ren and Onyx, what they were going through now.

She turned that fear into adrenaline, into pure energy, and flexed all of her fingers towards the storm of icicles. A net of electricity, a Shock Wave more powerful than anything she'd ever done before, tore through the icicles much faster than any fire spell she'd be able to work so close to him. The bulk of the Shock Wave tore into Corinth's chest, and only by sheer luck did he manage to force it to the ground with a strangled cry of determination and pain.

But he was stunned.

Tabby slammed the bottoms of her palms together and focused a white-hot Fire Blast towards Corinth, the heat boiling the pavement and making her eyes water. Corinth managed to raise shaky arms fended off the blast, the flames splitting off into a star formation that painted the sky with its fiery light and sucked the water right out of the air. Tabby pressed on, punching and punching as two gouts of flame shot from her feet and propelled her like ice skates on a rink. From her punches hurtled ferocious lashes of fire that snarled and snapped at a rapidly failing dome of cold air. She circled around bubbling asphalt with all the grace of a Meloetta, trying _everything_ to pierce his defenses and never letting up. Her fire coiled and twisted around the air dome, forcing itself between the cracks and devouring everything it could touch. Corinth tried once to counterattack and was answered with a near face-full of flames for his trouble.

And he began to retreat. He began to slash wildly at the air in fear, cutting scythe-blades of frigid air and sending them towards her unbreakable charge. Tabby leapt up and kicked horizontally through them, the flames lancing right through the bursts of air and rolling over the earth to knock Corinth off of his feet. He couldn't stand, couldn't even recover as Tabby brought the flames from Arceus itself down on top of his head and allowed herself to lose a little bit more control.

The volcanoes around her reactivated, spewing more lava into the sky that Tabby brought hammering down as they reached their maximum arcs. Corinth managed to leap up just in time to avoid getting cremated, but then was immediately hit with some well-deserved payback in the form of a Flamethrower to the chest. A scream of agony echoed over the city block that seemed to be tearing apart from the wrath of her magic, one that turned into a scream of rage as a tidal wave of lava rose at Tabby's call and crashed towards him. Tabby watched with both her eyes and her senses as Corinth used nearly every ounce of magic available to him to counter, a blast of winter air so cold it could have nullified Sunny Day rippling from his hands to freeze the tide of lava in its place.

But it was harder than it should have been. There was no cold air to draw from, no water in sight for hundreds and hundreds of feet in each direction. And in the short time they'd been fighting, the army of Sanctuary had moved just close enough to where Tabby's boiling body could feel the rays of the artificial sun her fellow magi had summoned up.

Tabby flexed every muscle in her body and let out a scream that bore no trace of sanity at all, power beyond her wildest dreams flooding her from the enhanced sun rays.

###

Floyd cut down one of the shadow-tainted Cleansers and gained enough of a breather to see the explosion go off.

For a moment, Floyd thought Olivier had detonated the bomb early, but she looked just as surprised as he did. Even the Cleansers stopped, apparently evaluating the new threat. A mushroom cloud of near-blinding light erupted a little ways to the northwest, so bright you could see it for miles and miles, maybe from both ends of the city.

"What the fuck was that?" Ren asked, panting hard.

The heat wave hit them all a few seconds later, and Floyd knew immediately.

###

The fighting just south of the Northern Quarter line ground to a halt as the giant explosion broke through the sounds of clashing and dying men and women.

Nerevor and Vanessa both gaped at it, exhausted and bleeding from a few minor cuts.

"Tabitha," Nerevor murmured.

His gnarled hands tightened against his staff.

###

Tabby was going to die.

She'd lost control.

She'd listened to her heart, and it had led her too close to the cliff. She was past the point of no return.

She felt sad, not for herself, but for everyone else. She hoped Nerevor wouldn't blame himself. She hoped Vanessa, Griffin, and Zero managed to find some happiness after this was over. She hoped Adam, the bus driver, would finally be able to live in peace.

She hoped Floyd was still alive, and that Nerevor would be able to help him.

"I'm sorry, Floyd," she said to herself.

Her entire body wreathed with flame, Tabby had no choice but to level her hand and prepare her final attack.

###

Corinth watched in awe as the demon that had claimed Tabby's body readied one last final attack. One searing blast of fire that would burn the very atoms of his body from existence and leave nothing more than a smoking gash on the street as proof he ever existed.

But the fool had pushed herself too far. The flames were devouring her even now, and as soon as she fired off her attack, she would die soon after from the strain.

Corinth relinquished his hold on the ice that allowed him to stand and summoned as much magic as he could to lift him off the ground and into the air where Tabby's attack would miss.

And instead of cold air at his feet, he felt only a searing pain down his ribcage that was worse than all of the burns he'd managed to mute. His bulging eyes turned behind him, and clinging to the side of a building was Tabby's Infernape, bloodied and barely hanging onto the ledge, but with his hand still steaming with the remnants of the Focus Blast he'd managed to hit him with.

Ribs cracked and Corinth stumbled to the pavement, barely able to breathe.

Tabby was no longer visible, and instead was a second sun, an unyielding fire, an inferno.

That inferno had a presence, and that presence focused on him.

The only solace Corinth had as his death steamrolled over the buildings, the road, and burned through the air itself was that he'd gotten what he wanted.

"You lose…Nerevor," he spat.

Corinth closed his eyes as he felt Tabby's power reach its peak.

###

Like pressurized air being ignited, Tabby let her first and last Blast Burn explode from her cupped hands and roll over the earth. She'd done Corinth one last mercy; the flames were so hot that he wouldn't feel a thing.

She was conscious just long enough to watch Corinth disappear in her raging inferno, and then dropped from the air, death rushing up to claim her.

Tabby didn't even feel herself hit the ground.


	29. Chapter 27: Liberation

**Chapter 27: Liberation**

Floyd cut down the last Cleanser, bowling him over Ren's leg-locked form behind his legs and burying his lightsaber into his forehead beneath his helmet before cutting the head off entirely. The shadow magic leeched away into the air and dissolved.

The attack left Floyd looking in just the right direction to watch the firestorm tear through a city block and leave the roads, buildings and cars left on the street little less than smoking slag.

And Olivier began to laugh.

"Well well! I win but I lose! It seems Corinth really _DID_ get the job done!" she taunted, mania dripping from every syllable. She looked demonic through the hazy shadows and the fiery light from the explosion.

"No," Ren murmured, and Onyx bowed her head.

"Oh, but it's true!" Olivier shouted. "I do believe…yes, I can feel _two_ souls ready to come to my call! But…oh, what's this? Tabby is hanging on by a thread it seems!" She leered at him from above, giving him a grandiose bow. "Go on then, Black Sun! Run to her! Save her! Be her knight in shining armor! And while you do that, _I'll tear you apart!"_

His own shadow leapt up to attack him, as did Ren's and Onyx's, while Olivier let loose a maniacal scream and charged towards them, her shadow blotting out the sun and the natural colors of the world.

Floyd was forced to defend himself. His shadow seemed as good at fighting as he was, and worse, it had the power to pierce through his armor. If he even turned his attention for a second from the fight, he would die.

He couldn't save Tabby.

Zero and Griffin were to the east. Vanessa and Nerevor would be fighting the charge of Cleansers to the north.

There was no one left to help her.

 _Tabby,_ Floyd thought, _I'm sorry._

His vision blurred with tears of frustration, and he struck back with everything he had, determined to avenge Tabby's death.

###

The staff dropped from Nerevor's hands, and he fell backwards as his colleagues, friends, and family charged around him to repulse more of the Elites trying to force their way through a gap in the Fighting type lines.

Vanessa stopped moving and knelt by his side, touching his shoulder gingerly.

A tear rolled down his cheek and into his white beard.

"Marissa," he wept. He was their source of strength, but as of now, Nerevor felt as though he couldn't work a spell to save his life. "Marissa, I…I failed you. You trusted me…and I failed you."

He couldn't even apologize as he bowed his head and wept for another one of his children lost to this damned war.

###

…

…

…

It was cold.

A big difference to a few minutes ago.

Tabby opened her eyes and stared into a white void.

She sighed and looked down. She was wearing white sweatpants, a white t-shirt, and felt better than she had in months, maybe even in years. She felt as though she could run for miles and miles without stopping, felt like she could fire off Blast Burns like they were Embers.

Which meant…

"Damn it," Tabby said, closing her eyes.

She was dead.

She was silent for a long time, and eventually sat with her head between her knees. She wanted to cry but no tears came.

She just felt…empty.

She wanted to go back and help. She needed to know that her friends would be alright. Then she could rest. But not a moment before. Maybe she could find a way to commune with Arceus…if he really even existed.

There seemed to be nothing here. How long had she been sitting here? A day? A year? A millennia? Maybe Snowpoint had been overgrown with weeds and moss and all of her friends had already been sent to their early graves.

"My, my. Still worrying about the living, I see?"

Tabby's head snapped up and looked around for the source of the voice.

"Such strong emotions you humans have. Though I suppose I'm not one to talk, am I?"

Right in front of her face, a small pink creature with a gray belly appeared, its two tails bejeweled with rubies waving playfully in the air.

"Mesprit," Tabby said, her jaw going slack with awe.

"Indeed," Mesprit said, the jewel in its forehead humming with psychic power. "You say you can't rest until you know if your friends are safe? Well human, I believe that we can help each other."

###

As Olivier's nails hardened into claws and she truly became a monster, as his own shadow leapt at him and tried to kill him, Floyd realized what the shadow's weakness was.

The message in Regigigas' chamber was just a means to an end. His Light powers weren't antithetical to the shadows, but they provided a sure-fire way to hit her. Floyd slashed with his lightsaber, and Olivier's body ripped apart and flowed around the crimson blade. She struck back with a slash from her shadow-wreathed talons, and Floyd's forearm snapped up to deflect it. His entire body was wreathed in light, and the shadow rebounded from it as though they quite literally couldn't exist in its presence. Floyd responded with a punch, and Olivier flinched away from the blow much more than what was required. Pivoting in the opening, Floyd brought his fist around and punched straight through his own shadow's chest. It collapsed to the ground and flowed to his feet, pointing in the right direction now.

Ren let out a snarl as her shadow slashed at her and opened a line of blood on her face. Onyx danced around her shadow and managed to stab it in the back with her claws, purple energy raging around them as she withdrew and slashed through the shadow. At the same time, Ren retreated and blew her shadow away with a Dark Pulse that streamed from her mouth. Both shadows returned to their natural state, and Floyd's Pokemon wasted no time in rushing Olivier. If Floyd's powers made Olivier fearful, the power of Ren and Onyx combined had her downright terrified. She conjured walls of shadow as the Pokemon rushed her, Onyx being just nimble enough to weave around them and slash her claws down her frontside.

Olivier shrieked in pain, and black slime oozed from the deep gashes instead of blood.

The overwhelming pressure radiating from her lessened. It wasn't much, barely enough to feel it, but Floyd was almost certain that it had lessened.

That blow from Onyx likely would have killed a regular woman, and technically it had. Olivier hadn't just been absorbing the souls of the dead to use for her army. It was likely that the Ghost Plate could amplify its powers when charged with those souls.

But what if Floyd exhausted her supply?

It was time to find out.

Floyd sheathed the lightsaber and punched Olivier square in the face. The strength behind the blow should have turned her head into putty, but it merely exploded into shadows and reformed as she was sent over the edge of the rooftop and into open air. As soon as her face had regenerated, Olivier bellowed and threw her arms out at her sides, a volley of Shadow Balls ripping from her body to swarm Floyd and his Pokemon.

"Sneasel!" Onyx cried, leaping in front of them. There was a pulse of negative energy, and a wall of darkness erupted from the Sneasel's small body, wide enough and thick enough to turn the impact of the Shadow Balls. "Sneasel snea! Sneasel!"

"Smart girl!" Ren shouted. "Boss, let's do it!"

Floyd nodded and clenched his fists, straining every muscle in his body as he called for every iota of power in his body to help him one last time. To his left, Ren's form flickered as she reacted to his stirring power, and both of their voices began to rise in a shout.

The torrent of Shadow Balls stopped, and was replaced by a gale of terrible wind that howled and shrieked for blood. Onyx kept up her dark shield, but she cried out and almost lost her footing.

The shouting reached a crescendo. Floyd could almost feel something inside of him snap, like a dam that had finally reached its limit. Power came flooding out of him, the sun on his chest almost as bright as the one in the sky. The howling wind lessened to a gust, and Onyx glanced behind herself in awe.

Ren was different. Floyd had never seen her Mega Evolve this way, but it almost looked like she was changing into something else. She howled and gnashed her teeth as her claws carved splinters into the stone, growing more muscular and taller. Her teeth grit together in a furious snarl, and unless Floyd was mistaken, her eyes flashed white repeatedly. But whether it was a trick of the light or if she _was_ turning into something else and just couldn't get there, Ren howled again, and her Mega Evolution completed in its entirety, a furious multi-colored light splintering the air around her as her faux-wings gusted Aura and forced Olivier away from them into open air.

Floyd felt her anger, her hatred for Olivier. He felt her sorrow over Tabby's death, one that resonated so deeply with Floyd it hurt to think about. This was Ren at her strongest, because every cell in both of their bodies wanted the same thing.

They wanted Olivier _dead._

Floyd threw his hands forward, a dazzling beam of light erupting from his fingers and crashing through the shadows into Olivier. He couldn't hear her scream over the winds, but she lost her grip on her power and dropped like a stone.

"Go!" Floyd ordered. He and his Pokemon sprinted for the edge and didn't hesitate to leap over it, pursuing Olivier the long way down.

Regaining her stance, Olivier screamed again and shot towards them, bleeding shadows the entire way. Her fist hammered against Floyd's crossed arms and nearly sent him flying through the glass panes of Central Tower. Her strength was enhanced as well, but not nearly as much as Floyd's. He struck back and buried his fist in her gut, more black slime flying from her mouth as Ren spat a Dark Pulse from her maw. It drilled through the layer of shadows surrounding Olivier to connect with her face, and once again her head exploded in shadowy threads. Onyx flipped end over end, icicles glittering to life and screaming towards her reforming body to pierce through them like a hot knife through butter. She couldn't scream without a head, but her body jerked like it was still alive and feeling the pain. One hand snapped up and flexed, a lance of withering shadow flying towards them as the other reached behind her towards the approaching buildings. A tendril of shadows shot from her arm and attached to a nearby rooftop, pulling her body along to heal.

Ren shouted and batted aside the lance of shadow, her horn constantly flaring with purple light. "I need you to throw me, Floyd!" she ordered. Floyd lowered both of his arms and clasped his hands, and Ren crouched on her haunches atop his forearms, as if preparing to pounce. Heaving, Ren's furred body went flying towards Olivier, wreathed in negative energy as she let out a catlike yowl. She slammed into Olivier with titanic force and began to slash and rake at her with claw and horn, not giving her a moment to fully regenerate. Floyd grabbed Onyx out of midair and rocketed towards the melee, landing behind Olivier and throwing Onyx towards her. Her claws fully extended and wicked sharp, they punched right through her flesh and hooked in, the Sneasel hanging on for dear life. She was no stranger to combat it seemed, as she began to let loose Dark Pulse after Dark Pulse through her hands, destroying Olivier from the inside out.

Olivier's wails of agony caused the air itself to vibrate as she tried her best to shake Onyx off. Ren and Floyd didn't let up for a second, rushing forward in a tag team. They worked flawlessly together, not even having to look at each other to know their next moved. Ren darted in, barely able to be seen as a trail of purple and white, hamstringing Olivier and sending her to the ground. She leapt back out of the way as Floyd's boot hammered into her sternum and sent her flying into the air. Onyx, still on her back, released her hold and sent Olivier crashing back down to the rooftop with another Dark Pulse.

The pressure lessened again.

With another wail of agony, Olivier thrust her hands to the sky, and shadows of every kind leapt up to attack. The shadows cast by buildings from the sun, their own shadows, and even more tormented souls of the dead. All of it swirled together in a raging beam that cut through the air faster than the naked eye could see. It was all Floyd could do to ward against it, crossing his arms as the sun on his chest let out a violent chiming sound. A shimmering halo of white light formed a few feet across in diameter, the shadows billowing around it. Ren leapt out of the circle and crossed the gap between their power struggle, slicing her horn down Olivier's left arm. It fell away into black shadows as Olivier snarled in pain, her attack fading away as the limb regenerated almost immediately. Fingers hooked into talons, she unleashed another volley of shadows this time…but not at them.

Her shadows attacked their own shadows, and Floyd felt the blows as though they were on his own flesh. Both he and Ren were hammered over and over again by what felt like heavy-handed punches, forced back from Olivier's panting body from the weight of her assault.

"Sneasel!" Onyx cried, dropping from the sky and going on the offensive. Olivier whirled without a second thought, a Shadow Claw blurring to rip Onyx's throat out. Onyx countered with both hands that were covered in negative energy, straining with all of the might her little body could muster. But she was still a Pokemon, which meant she was incredibly strong even for her size. She shoved away the Shadow Claw and sank both of her claws into Olivier's legs, bringing her to the ground and returning the favor, ripping out her throat. Black slime spewed over the rooftop and the shadow assault ended, both Ren and Floyd racing forward and charging straight into Olivier's kneeling form. Their attack snapped something in her body and sent the three of them tumbling from the rooftop to land in the street. A large number of civilians were still present in this part of Central, fleeing in abject terror from the pillar of shadow that was slowly enveloping more of Central Tower's surroundings.

"Citizens!" Olivier growled. "Give me…give me your souls! Your god commands it!" She made a chopping gesture, and the shadows the innocent humans and their weak Pokemon snapped like a cloth in the wind. They began to flow towards her like liquid on the pavement, and the victims began to choke where they stood.

"NO!" Ren roared. A Night Slash cut through the air and through the shadows that bled on the stone, and the spell fell apart. Olivier whirled and engaged both Ren and Floyd in a furious melee, driving them into the street and striking with enough force to shatter bone. Ren was forced to dodge her attacks, but Floyd guarded with his metal limbs, every strike reverberating up and down the metal, though it held.

"A pathetic resistance!" Olivier spat as she raked over and over again with her Shadow Claws, her movements a blur. "Even with your powers, you can't hope to kill me!" She over-balanced on another slash, and Floyd ducked into her guard, his glowing fist shattering bone as it slammed into her forehead. Once again she exploded into shadowy threads, and into even more as Ren shot behind her and ripped her horn down her back.

This time, and Floyd was absolutely sure of it, she didn't reform as quickly as before.

"Maybe not immediately!" Ren taunted. "But you made one giant-ass mistake, bitch!" She reared back and brought one front paw forward to crunch into Olivier's reforming chest in a Brutal Swing, sending her flying back on the street and crunching through asphalt. Incoming traffic veered off the road at the battle, and slowly the main road began to empty of civilians.

Olivier coughed as her head reformed, then let out a reedy laugh as she swayed on her feet. "And what mistake would that be, little Absol?"

"Where we're from, life throws a whole lot more at us than some floozy drunk on power she doesn't understand!" Ren shouted. "We've fought regenerators more powerful than you, and the only way to defeat them is the simplest method of them all!"

That touched a nerve of sorts in some way for Olivier, because her voice cracked in a scream of rage as the sky darkened. The sun seemed to flicker in the sky as Olivier summoned a vortex of shadow around her and beckoned. A storm of shadow blades cracked the ground and slithered towards them in jagged patterns. Once again, Floyd called that circle of light around his feet, but he wasn't powerful enough to stop all of the blades. Some slid right by them, others cut through his armor and struck his flesh underneath, biting him with pain and a chill that tried to spread but was repulsed by his innate power. Ren took a couple of wounds too, blood sparkling in her lush white fur, but it only seemed to make her angrier. Throwing his hands back with a guttural roar, the shadows dissolved as Ren shot forward again with an animalistic scream that caused even Floyd to become a little fearful. Combined with the Aura blazing from the fur on her back, Olivier turned into a bolt of black light and ran for it, fleeing in the face of Ren's seemingly increasing power. But Ren had apparently prepared for that, and Floyd watched her use Pursuit, the attack magnified by her Mega Evolution. Ren turned into a trail of negative energy, pursuing the tyrant up and down buildings and even managing to follow her into midair. Floyd leapt up and flew after them, throwing a powerful punch that landed and turned Olivier's head into writhing shadow. It was more frantic, scattered, like a wind was blowing through it and steadily making it harder and harder to reform.

"The truth is," Ren began, taking another swipe with her claws, "is that all of you regenerators are all the same! Now you tell us!" Olivier's headless body swung at Ren, but she managed to strike first, a Sucker Punch sending Olivier reeling into the center of the road. "How many times will we have to kill you before you stay dead!?" The battle was getting to her, boiling her blood, and Floyd couldn't help but share her passion.

He'd been in many, many fights, and this one was nearing its end.

Olivier managed to stand, her head finally reforming. The pressure had lessened so much that the earth was no longer shaking with the Ghost Plate's power, and an expression of terror had replaced the smug insanity that had once filled Olivier's pallid face.

"Fire! Open fire!"

Floyd touched down with Ren as the guardsmen of Snowpoint drew their weapons and fired at their leader. He covered Ren with his cloak, bullets losing their momentum against the wraithcloth as some missed. The ones that hit killed Olivier over and over again, ripping her body to shadowy threads again and again.

Some of the threads never managed to reconnect with the main body, falling to the ground to completely dissipate.

Olivier roared, more than a note of fear in her voice as she raked her claws through the air. The air vibrated and a wall of shadow rushed towards the brave men, none of whom had a scrap of magic to spare. But brave Onyx leapt in front of them all, crying out for everything she was worth and throwing back the shadows with her strongest Dark Pulse yet, keeping them from drinking away the lives of the men. Her attention pulled in too many places at once, he and Ren closed the gap and began to pummel without stopping. Olivier's claws blurred over Floyd's head, and his fist connected with her chin in a titanic uppercut, sending her flying away into the air. The guardsmen, all with Growlithe or Arcanine, opened fire again while their Pokemon let loose blasts of flame at her falling body, enveloping it in a fiery explosion.

The pressure thrummed in Floyd's head, and he saw the pillar of shadow around Central Tower shrink and reveal the sides of the building, untouched by the vortex of energy.

Olivier emerged from the plume of smoke, obviously in pain as she fell, unable to fly any more. Her powers waning, Floyd watched her make a clawing gesture as she crashed to the ground.

###

Nerevor fought with much rage in his heart as the Elites made another push forward. The melee wings had dropped back, too many wounded and too many dying or dead for Nerevor's liking. He instead threw firestorms and blizzards, hails of Aura Spheres and crushing Psychic force over and over again. He wouldn't stop until every single undead was destroyed.

And suddenly, every single one collapsed where they stood. Some fell on their lightsabers, some fell backwards, but every single one fell over as though something had severed their magic.

The entirety of the Sanctuary fighting force looked stunned and confused as the battle came to an abrupt end. Nerevor saw the entire army use their magical senses and watch the torrent of stolen life shoot towards Central.

"They're doing it," Vanessa said in awe. "Olivier's in a corner!"

"Go!" Nerevor bellowed. "Go! Defeat her!"

###

"Here we go!" Zero shouted, jumping up and down on the sidewalk. "I don't do magic but I can sure as hell feel that! Kick her ass! Floyd! Ren!"

The Gym Trainers, the pedestrians, anyone around him took up the call, raising their hands to the sky, to Central, where the amassed shadows began to shrink for good.

"This is it!" Griffin roared behind him. "Make her pay for what she's done! Let that monster have it!"

###

Mesprit allowed Tabby to watch the chaotic battle from the strange void she was in. She had no idea if what she was seeing was happening in real-time or if it had happened a hundred, maybe a thousand, maybe a million years ago. But seeing Floyd and Ren fight for everything they were worth, hearing all 1,081,752 souls in Snowpoint City cry out for justice, Tabby just couldn't help but cheer with them.

"GO ON, YOU TWO!" Tabby shouted at the battle, not caring if Arceus himself was watching her. "NOW'S THE TIME TO PUT OLIVIER DOWN!"

###

Floyd watched the tendrils of shadow reconnect with Olivier's body as she crashed to the ground. That had to be the last of the dead, and knowing her, it was the last of her undead army too.

But the pressure had failed to even double to what it was now; pathetic, fleeting…

Weak.

He heard an entire city screaming in his ears as he rushed forward with his partner, engaging in one last brawl with the tyrant of Snowpoint City. She attacked their shadows once again, and he felt the blows drill into his flesh.

He pushed forward. Pain was an old friend to both himself and Ren, and it was touching his mind, not his body. The light around his body was far from weak like the Ghost Plate's flickering power, and Olivier managed to dance around a few of his blows before catching an elbow to the face. Her head exploded and reformed within seconds, her eyes still wide with terror as she retreated even further. The blades of shadow she'd conjured earlier leapt up from her feet and stabbed dozens of times a second, Floyd barely keeping ahead of the blows. She struck with claws of shadow, even breathed it as she tried every single trick in the book to bring him down.

But her form was sloppy with fear and exhaustion, revealing the truth that Olivier was most definitely not a warrior. She was one single human clinging to a scrap of power, and that power was about ready to give out on her. A sloppy claw missed his body by miles and Floyd vaulted over her body as Ren circled around and delivered a brutal Sucker Punch to her jaw. Their battle had taken them directly in front of Central Tower, and the attack sent Olivier flying into the air, her body crashing in the concrete courtyard before the tower's entrance.

"Ren!" Floyd boomed. The Absol landed right next to him and combined her power with his own, horn and cupped hands flashing with every scrap of energy they could manifest. They moved as one, voices raised in a shout that hummed with power as Floyd unleashed his strongest Solar Flare yet. The beam was large enough to carry up to the tower's third floor, and completely whited out all of their surroundings.

The shadowy pillar that was Central Tower winked out entirely as Olivier was enveloped by their final attack.

###

Olivier had believed that surrendering control to the void would allow her to escape from the worst of her situation. She had trusted the Ghost Plate with her fate, and it had whispered that she'd made the right choice.

That, she realized, had been the Ghost Plate's final lie.

She heard Floyd and Ren screaming together as the beam of energy drilled into her body, stripping away layer after layer, life after life that she had stolen. She resisted for as long as she could, pushed with every muscle in her body, but it was no use.

She felt her hold on the Ghost Plate shatter as it fled her body, all of her strength going with.

Olivier began screaming with them as the entire city demanded her defeat.

She began screaming and never, ever stopped.

###

The explosion rocked Central, and was so strong that every quarter in Snowpoint felt it. The forests to the south and the mountains to the north were shaken by the blast, all of the Pokemon within them seeking shelter or higher ground to watch the dazzling array of lights in the center of the human city light up the world for a few moments.

Far, far away, he awoke once again, more alarmed this time.

They were the same, somehow. Had he stolen the power? No, that was impossible. Not even a rogue would be able to muster up that much divine power.

They were the same.

Rarely had he felt any emotion in the past.

But now he felt…anticipation.

He drifted back into a deep slumber, dreaming of his mysterious stranger.

###

Floyd gazed upon the rubble of the Central Tower courtyard, unfazed by the destruction of Olivier's legacy. An odd stillness had overtaken Snowpoint City, one of astonishment, of muted terror, of relief.

Of change.

The dust cleared just enough for Floyd to see Olivier's body. Her face was frozen in horror just like all of the victims she'd forced into the suits of armor to make her army of "Cleansers". Her flesh was forever marred by the Ghost Plate inhabiting her body and devouring it when she had lost control, her void-like eyes staring at nothing.

"Good luck," Floyd muttered, "you damned fool."

The tyrant's body seemed to petrify, then crumbled into dust.

"Boss," Ren said, urgency over taking the weariness in her voice. "Tabby."

He didn't spare Olivier's remains a second glance as he and Ren sprinted away towards where the firestorm had come from, Onyx pursuing them above the rooftops. If he tried to fly, he'd either pass out or make it a few feet before slamming into something. He was extremely light-headed, and the sun on his chest refused to stop shining, as though ready to explode.

He'd used all the power he could today, and maybe for a little while, but he'd use more if he had a chance to save Tabby's life.

###

Ren steeled herself as they came to what was presumably the site of Tabby's fight. Immediately, she realized that she had to have been fighting Corinth. There was no reason that she would have used so much fire, and Ren hadn't seen the anemic little worm since a press conference on television.

And if Corinth had been strong enough to redirect one of Floyd's attacks, even if it had cost him grievous wounds…Tabby might not have been up to the task without paying a tremendous price.

But even as they arrived on the scene, even as Ren told herself that she might not like what she saw, she still wasn't ready to see Blitz cradling Tabby's lifeless body in his arms, tears running down his bloody muzzle as he gazed up at the three of them helplessly.

As a contrast to Olivier, Tabby looked so peaceful in death. Resigned. Like she'd known what she was doing right up to the end. It hadn't been an enemy spell that had killed her; she wasn't frostbitten or frozen in anyway. She was sooty and dry, the sweat that she'd broken out leaving her hair stuck to her forehead.

Her own strain had killed her.

A lump formed in Ren's throat. She didn't even really like most humans. She had her family back home, she had Floyd.

She had never thought she'd be sad for anyone else.

Floyd fell to his knees next to her, completely silent as his body shook.

Ren could lift cars in her Mega-Evolved form, could outrun energy blasts and fight god-powered tyrants to a standstill.

But here, with something as simple as saving someone who'd given so much for their city, she could do nothing.

Her eyes burned with tears as she lowered her head in a moment of grief and silence for the fallen hero.

###

Tabby watched her friends weep over her lifeless body. She wanted to call out to them, tell them that she could see them, but it was useless. They wouldn't hear her.

She was sad…but not as sad as she ought to be.

Death hadn't hurt…she'd gone quickly, and hadn't even felt when she'd left her body. And her friends…more had probably perished than she would have liked, but watching the city cheer Floyd on, she'd seen the ones she'd loved the most. They were alive, and had made it through the fighting.

That would have to be enough.

Tabby sniffled and wiped at her eyes. "Okay." She took a deep breath and faced Mesprit. "Okay."

"Interesting," Mesprit said. "Why do you cry?"

"Because my family is okay," Tabby said. "Because Floyd and Ren can find their way home now. Because…because everything we worked for wasn't in vain."

"But not for your own death?"

Tabby laughed. "Being sad about me dying won't bring me back. I'm not okay with it, but…but as long as they're still alive, it's a price I'm willing to pay. I'm sick of watching people around me be killed, and if the people I love never have to go through something like this again until they all die peacefully in old age, then I'll die a hundred times over."

"But why?" Mesprit asked, and Tabby was reminded of a small child confused about the world. "You humans live…100 years? 150? Less than that for the ones that are not magically inclined. How can such a short time amount to anything worth caring so much about that you would sacrifice your lives for?"

"Because we love each other," Tabby said immediately. It was so simple; how could Mesprit not see it. "If you're asking why we love each other, I'm not sure. Humans are stubborn. Look at Snowpoint, at my friends. We could've given up so long ago, allowed Olivier to control us and manipulate us until we ended up worse off than we are now. But we didn't. We pushed on, survived. Being stubborn is one of the greatest traits we have…besides love."

And that was true, wasn't it? She'd used Blast Burn knowing that she would die, that her heart would give out from the strain. But knowing that Corinth wouldn't hurt Blitz, wouldn't go after Floyd or Ren or Nerevor…that had made it okay.

"So you would identify your species as…stubborn and loving?" Mesprit asked. "That is how you would describe yourselves?"

"Maybe not all of us," Tabby said with a shrug. "But I know for a fact it describes me."

Mesprit was silent for a very long time, its tails twitching and waving as it thought on Tabby's words. She turned her attention back to the veil she could see her friends through, and a pang hit her heart as she saw Blitz place his forehead atop hers.

"I have been alive for countless eons," Mesprit finally said. "Stretches of time so vast, even speculating on it would shatter your mortal brain. I was there when the first Mew evolved into the subset of regular Pokemon, and I was present when your species split from those Pokemon. In all my countless years, and all the years to come I would imagine, I don't believe I will ever fully understand you humans." Mesprit smiled, its half-lidded eyes sparkling. "That is what makes you so interesting. I must…understand."

Mesprit gestured behind its body, and a square of purple light flared to life behind it. In the bottom left corner was a pinpoint of light, standing out to Tabby's eyes and ingraining itself in her brain.

"You do not know what this is now," Mesprit said, "but you will…when the time is right. But first, you must survive. Your fight is not yet over."

Tabby's eyes widened. "Wait…do you mean…?"

Mesprit's smile widened, and Tabby began to feel a wind on her face. "Your father."

Tabby blinked. "My…what about him?"

"I can give you the answers you do not know that you seek," Mesprit said. "Find me, and I will tell you the truth about your father's fate. But consider this a gift…and a test. Farewell, Tabitha of the humans. Know that you truly are…"

Mesprit disappeared from her vision, and Tabby was blinded.

"… **a Being of Emotion."**


	30. Chapter 28: Zero Hour

**Chapter 28: Zero Hour**

Tabby took a deep, gasping breath, and a chorus of voices shocked her to the core. Strong furred arms closed around her and hugged her so tight she almost couldn't breathe. Wind whipped around her face and stirred her hair, and the hand that was planted into the street hurt from the gravel that pressed into her hands.

"B-Blitz?" she asked.

"INFERNAPE!" Blitz shrieked with happiness, picking her up and throwing her around.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, buddy! Ow, ow, stop, _stop, crushing!"_

Sheepishly, Blitz let go of her and set her down, and a gentler set of hands closed around her shoulders and sat her up. An Absol grinned down at her while a Sneasel leapt up and down wildly, proclaiming what was likely a victory screech to anything that was still around the deserted street to hear.

"Well, well," a deep voice said behind her. Tabby leaned back onto the body that the hands belonged to, and gazed up into a mask of strange material, the sockets where the eyes would be only pinpoints of light beneath a cowl. Strangely, the helm made her feel so safe.

The mask rolled back to reveal Floyd's smiling face that was wet with tears, and Tabby began crying too.

"Welcome back," he said, wiping his eyes. "Good to see you remembered our promise."

Tabby beamed at him even though she was crying and turned, flinging herself into his arms. Ren crashed into them next, coming out of her Mega Evolution, then Blitz, and finally Onyx.

She was home.

" _Your fight is not yet over."_

"Oh balls," Tabby muttered.

"Odd choice of 'holy-shit-I'm-still-alive' words," Ren remarked.

"No, no," Tabby said. "We need to get to the Hub _right_ _now."_

Her memory came rushing back to her, and she remembered the certainty in Jonas' voice that the bomb was finished.

"What? Why?" Floyd asked. "Olivier—"

"I know, I saw," Tabby cut him off. "I promise I'll explain later, but for now you have to trust me. I think the bomb is finished…and worse, I think Olivier might have turned it on."

The happiness in Floyd's expression drained until she was left staring at that hardened, determined mask that she'd grown to appreciate so much. "Alright. Can you walk?" She nodded. "Then let's go. There might not be any time to waste."

###

The temporary relief that had flooded through Floyd when Tabby had taken that breath probably could have ran an entire city with how powerful it was. Floyd had felt as though he could bench-pressed the world and fought an army at the same time.

In hindsight, he supposed he'd already done one of those things.

But as they rode for the Hub, he found himself growing even more tired, the adrenaline from Tabby's survival and the fight with Olivier wearing off faster than he would have liked. Ren had already come down into her normal state, and there was absolutely no way he was going to be able to Mega Evolve her again without passing out or killing himself from the strain.

Their Pokemon in their Pokeballs, the two of them hopped on a speeder bike that Tabby had parked nearby before her battle with Corinth and sped towards the Hub. Floyd was light-headed, whether from strain or from blood loss he wasn't sure, but Tabby had either died or come back to life, or been so close to death that she had _looked_ dead. Either one was more than enough to convince her to ride on the backseat as she clutched at Floyd's waist while he drove. Central had almost completely emptied, and the hardest part was navigating through abandoned cars and debris in the streets. But it was better than walking, and Floyd wasn't sure Tabby could do much of that, even if she said she could.

He pulled the speeder bike to the curb, and the both of them dismounted. Tabby swore she could walk on her own and promptly collapsed to her knees. Wasting no time, Floyd picked her up, thankful to have arms that wouldn't give be hindered by such a negligible weight like Tabby's. The results of Tabby's elemental battle with Corinth had to have carried this far, because the Hub's lobby was littered with shattered glass and wilted plants in the lobby. No bodies, but hopefully they'd all evacuated when the ground had started shaking.

"They weren't kidding," Floyd said. "You've gotten stronger than when I first met you, remember?"

Tabby chuckled. "Yeah. Didn't know if I could pull that off back there." She scratched the back of her head. "I guess I didn't, now that I think about it. I'm sorry if I scared you. I…I didn't—"

"It's okay. You're back. That's all that matters."

Her smile, even in the face of what might be certain death, cheered him. "I'm glad we're both still alive."

"So am I," Floyd said. "Now let's see if we can keep it that way."

He hadn't been in the Hub with the lights on, much less during the day, so he noted a few things he hadn't seen last time, or things that hadn't seemed important. There was an elevator, one for workers and patrons, and a much larger service elevator, likely for if Olivier's little plan was ever put into fruition. To the right, at the far end of the wall, was a shutter door labeled "GARAGE ACCESS". The bomb's report had mentioned that it would be prudent to move around the bomb by truck, and there was the way to load it.

"Probably shouldn't risk the elevator," Tabby said as Floyd scanned the lobby.

"Probably not," he agreed. He strode over to the stair access he'd taken a few weeks before and Tabby opened it with her free hand. They descended as quickly as they could without Floyd dropping Tabby on her face, and finally made it to sub-level three.

"Floyd," Tabby warned, looking down. He followed her gaze and saw what she was looking at.

There was a puddle of crimson leaking from beneath the door.

Nodding at each other, Tabby pushed the door's handle and Floyd shoved against the door. Just as he'd expected, it was heavier than before, and the body responsible for that fell over as they entered the large chamber. He set Tabby down and found the light switch from earlier, the fluorescents snapping on overhead.

Tabby covered her mouth and gasped, and Floyd swore under his breath.

They were too late.

It was nothing less than a massacre. A variety of different men and women lay scattered around the room, dead. Some of them had been carved up, but most of them had taken on that graying, deadened look that Floyd knew was courtesy of Olivier misusing the Ghost Plate.

"No one can leak any secrets if they're all dead," Floyd murmured. "This thing has to be finished." He retrieved Ren's Pokeball and let her out, the Absol moving sluggishly. "I know you want to rest girl, but we're not finished yet. Help me look at this thing."

"Oh boy, getting up close and personal with a nuke," Ren said, though her words lacked their usual bite. She really was tired. "How lucky am I?"

They crossed over to the actual bomb itself, and Floyd knew he was right. It was no longer misshapen like it had been before. It was encased in a strange pink and blue metal of sorts…maybe crystal. There was an obvious seal around the center, and two large screens had been installed on either side of the bomb, likely where the timer would display when it was activated. The various tubes and wires that had been connected to it while it was still being built had been disconnected, leaving the bomb on a pedestal of sorts with wheels to allow it to be easily moved about the room. Floyd noted the service elevator entrance before sitting down at the center console.

It was locked this time, and required an employee's ID.

"Ren."

"On it." She dashed off and yanked a poor scientist's card off of her lab coat. She dropped it in his hand, and Floyd held it up to a scanner.

It blinked green, and Floyd was in. All he had to do was make sure that it wasn't going to blow up on them if they removed it from the chamber. Surely there would be a final changelog or a report that they would have left in the system. Of course, if Olivier had been cleaning up after herself, maybe she would have deleted that too.

Floyd navigated to the main menu and saw a list:

**Project Failsafe:**

Emergency Controls

Weapon Activation

Project Termination

He didn't even have time to consider if it was a trap as the screen flickered and changed.

**YOU LOSE**

YOU LOSE YOU LOSE YOU LOSE YOU LOSE YOU LOSE YOU LOSE YOU LOSE YOU LOSE YOU LOSE YOU LOSE YOU LOSE YOU LOSE YOU LOSE YOU LOSE YOU LOSE

"Oh God," Ren muttered, horrified. "Boss…"

"FLOYD!" Tabby shouted in alarm.

He stood up from the computer and glanced over the army of monitors.

Over the blinking red text of Olivier's final taunt, the final trap to ensure that no matter what, they would lose.

He stood and saw the blinking red light of the bomb's timer, now set for 30 minutes.

29:59.

29:58.

###

"Let's go, let's go! Don't push, don't shove! Everyone make your way onto the boat!"

Zero and Griffin helped people up onto the ramp, managing the crowd and trying to stop the public from panicking. So far, no one had been trampled to death, which was a miracle, but the work was slow going. Even from here, Zero could see the traffic still stretching for miles, and the crowd of people that tried to get on the boat and flee with their families seemed to grow every time he looked away to help and turned back again.

"Griffin," Zero said, grabbing his arm. "Dude, this is taking too long!"

"What the hell do you suggest then, Zero?" Griffin snapped. "This is our only option! If that explosion earlier was Floyd dealing with Olivier, it doesn't mean we're out of the woods yet! We need to be out in the water until we're sure our city isn't about to be leveled!"

But the two of them both knew each other too well now not to know what the other was thinking.

If that bomb was coming, there was absolutely no way that anyone was going to survive.

There just wasn't enough time.

###

"What…what does this mean?" Tabby asked, Blitz now out to help her over to stand by Floyd and Ren. "Guys?"

"It means in 30 minutes, we die unless we come up with a plan right now," Floyd said, his fists tightened.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Ren snapped, her temper flaring. "I did not get cut up, get my ribs broken, fall from the fucking sky, and spend all morning on my metaphorical fucking knees fixing that damned car just for Olivier to get the jump on us!"

Floyd closed his eyes, a muscle going in his jaw.

The loudest voice in his brain told him that this was the end. He had never prepared for what would happen if the bomb was activated. This must have been Olivier's backup plan, a plan that ensured that Snowpoint would be destroyed even if she was defeated. It probably hadn't even mattered that he'd logged into the system; just moving the bomb from its position probably would have been enough to activate the trap.

Floyd realized that he was about to die.

He'd come close. The car was back in working order, and by technicality, Snowpoint was a free city again. With Olivier dead, Nerevor and Vanessa could have taken control and declared loyalty to the Pokemon League and the Sinnohian Government. Then he and Ren would have left and started searching for a way back home.

None of that mattered now.

"Floyd," Tabby said, grabbing his hand. "Is…this can't be it…right?"

He wanted to tell her different. He could have said anything. He saw that hope in her eyes, and he realized with a shock that he'd fulfilled his own prophecy. Her trust in him had led her to certain death.

"Tabby…"

" _NO!"_ Ren screamed. "We've come too fucking close!" She shoved Tabby to the floor, and Blitz snarled at her, but Ren didn't care in the slightest. She stood defiantly in front of Floyd, glaring up at him. "You pulled us both from our own wrecked flying car that _you_ built! You got us through Snowpoint Temple! _We beat Olivier! WE WON!_ I will not let you sit here and wallow in the fact that Olivier got the one-up on us! It's been like that since we fucking got here you morons!" She glanced over at Tabby. "You just came back from the fucking dead for this city, and you're going to let that poser Olivier beat you from beyond the grave? You two are the heroes of the day, so _start acting like it! Think!"_

26:32.

26:31.

"How do we get rid of a bomb this size?" Tabby asked.

"Take it out into the bay," Ren suggested. "We can fly it out there using the car!"

"No," Tabby replied immediately. "We'll kill hundreds of thousands of Pokemon, and there's no guarantee it won't blow the Eastern Quarter away if we don't get there in time."

"You got a better idea, witch? The only other way is either south or north into the mountains, and you're killing Pokemon there too!"

"No," Floyd said. "There's another way."

It was a mad plan he was concocting.

So mad that it just might work.

He tapped the remote control on his arm and summoned the car to the Hub. "We can go up."

Ren frowned. "There's no way with a payload this big we're going to be able to ascend in time. Not with the ratchet-ass repairs we had to make do with. If we had the original flight mechanism to work with, maybe, but…"

"The car can't," Floyd said as the car confirmed it was on its way. "But a Pokemon can." He looked at Tabby. "Tell me you have a little bit of juice left to do some magic with."

"Nothing more than a small flame," Tabby said, shaking her head.

"What if it was to just send a message?"

Tabby nodded slowly. "Psychically? Maybe."

Floyd released Onyx, the Sneasel looking up at him with confusion. "Onyx, I need you to give whatever energy you have left to Tabby. Blitz, Ren, help me wheel this to the service elevator." He glanced down at his partner, who was grinning uncertainly at him. "You're right. We haven't lost yet."

###

Nerevor watched Floyd's car flying off into Central and eventually lost track of it. The battle had to be won if it was still following his orders.

It had been won…but at what cost?

He wanted to sleep and never wake up. He'd failed Marissa…her last wishes to keep her daughter safe, and he hadn't even been able to do that.

What a failure he was.

"Nerevor!"

The sheer exhaustion must have finally caught up to him, or maybe it was guilt. Because for a split second, he swore that he heard Tabby's wonderful voice ringing in his ears.

But as much as he wanted it to be true, it was impossible. He'd failed her, and now—

"Nerevor, can you hear me?"

Nerevor's eyes widened. "T-Tabby?"

"Thank Arceus!" her voice cried out. Nerevor blinked and then focused his senses. He saw the trail of the Psychic link she was using to speak with him, leading all the way to Central. "Listen, there isn't much time! I'm happy to see you're still alive, but I need you to focus up! The bomb is armed, and it's about to go off! We need your help!"

He couldn't believe what he was hearing, seeing, and feeling. He wanted to cry. He wanted to go to her, make sure she was alright, put her to bed and let her rest as long as she liked…but all that mattered was that she was alright. His emotional brain caught up with her request and he managed to pull himself together, nodding. "Of course, my dear. What do you need?"

"A favor," Tabby said. "And a big one."

###

"Yeah, loop that cable there! Attach…you're good!"

Floyd dropped off of the rolling platform and moved to the other side of the bomb, the car hovering in mid air and blowing loose debris and papers from the alley access away as Floyd, Ren, and Blitz moved as quickly as they could to connect the bomb to the grappling cables properly. It wouldn't matter if their plan worked if they lost the bomb in transit.

"Boss," Ren said, loping over to him. "If this doesn't work…"

"I know, Ren. I know."

She nodded. "I love you."

"I love you too." He hated the fact that it sounded like a goodbye. "Is your side finished?" She nodded gravely. "Okay. Then it's not up to us anymore."

He grabbed Blitz and Ren, leapt up, and slid into the driver's seat of the car as the top rolled back to let them in. Tabby was already in the passenger seat, every line of her body sagging with fatigue but her eyes sharp and clear. "Did he do it?"

"He's going to try," Tabby said.

"Then that's all we can hope for. Hang on."

 _Father_ _,_ Floyd thought, _if you're listening…make your choice. Show me that you're not all bad…and don't let Olivier win._

The timer in the car automatically synced with the bomb's timer outside.

16:29

16:28.

###

"Hear me, Regigigas! The great evil that plagued our city has been defeated, but instead of submitting in righteous battle, she has left behind one fatal trap! It is a device capable of annihilating the land your creators and worshipers entrusted you to protect! Our might combined is not enough! Only the strength of the great Regigigas can save Snowpoint City! O, Regigigas! Awaken! Awaken and save us!"

…

…

…

…

**RE-GI-GI-GAS!**

The statue began to move.

###

The last hope of Snowpoint rose in the form of a flying car, the bomb jangling below them in a maze of grappling hooks and chains. The weight of the thing was so great that the improvised flight system had some trouble at first, but it would do it.

It had to.

"Punch it, Boss!" Ren shouted.

"Hang on!" Floyd warned.

He shifted into maximum speed, the car angled up as it began to soar through the air at supersonic speeds. The wall of a building stared them down as they began to pick up speed. The car would clear it, but the bomb trailing after them wouldn't. If they lost it and had to re-couple, they were finished.

Floyd pressed down on a button on the center stick.

###

Zero flinched as another explosion interrupted the momentary peace the city was experiencing. It was loud enough to hear over the roar of the slightly panicking crowd, rippling over the city.

"Everyone down! Down! Now!" Griffin shouted. Children clung to their mothers and began to cry as everyone ducked.

Zero closed his eyes and waited for the end.

"What…what is that?" one of the Gym Trainers to the right said in awe. "Is that a car?"

What?

Zero opened his eyes just in time to see Floyd's flying car lift fully into the sky in the distance, a giant pink-and-blue orb trailing behind it.

###

Nerevor and Vanessa watched with the rest of the stunned army as Floyd's car approached them high, high above and sped away to the north, a large orb of pink and blue crystal trailing behind suspended in many cables. It looked like a giant Porygon chrysalis, and Nerevor had no doubts that was the bomb they so feared.

"This is it, huh?" Vanessa asked quietly.

"Yes," Nerevor said. "This is it."

All he could do now was hope.

###

"Ren, how we looking?" Floyd asked, not daring to take his eyes off flying for a moment.

"Bomb's holding!" she shouted from the backseat, glancing out the window. "5 minutes, 34 seconds!"

"Pokeballs!" he ordered. Tabby summoned all of the Pokemon back into their capsules and clipped them all to her belt, gripping the seat for dear life as her breathing skyrocketed. "You okay?"

"Fine," she replied. "Just didn't think this was how my first time on a plane would go!"

The hysteria of the situation got a laugh out of Floyd as they flew further north. The buildings of the Northern Quarter were below, and then behind them. Every second felt like hundreds, and it was all he could do not to drive himself crazy. His heart was running a marathon in his chest, and he could almost feel death closing in on him.

"Tabby."

"Yeah?"

"Breathe."

"I…I am."

"Alright…talk to me about something."

5:00.

Tabby laughed. "About what?"

"Anything."

He heard almost nothing but the hammering of his own heart, the roar of blood in his ears. He heard and felt the wind pushing against the car with every grueling second of the way.

"In…in ancient tradition, when the people of Snowpoint overcome a great obstacle…there's a celebration."

Floyd smiled. "A party?"

"Yeah. A big one."

"A thanksgiving."

"Yes."

He'd never felt as mortal as he did right now.

"And at that party there's dancing in the streets…there's music and food. Celebration. Family. Laughter."

He had no idea how long he was silent for. He didn't want to look.

He did anyway.

2:56.

Where was the time going?

"It sounds amazing."

"It does."

2:50.

"You know, I'm not much for parties but…but I think I'd be willing to go to this one. We…we could dance together again." He looked over at her, and even after a day like today, even in the face of death, she looked absolutely beautiful. Her eyes were wide with fear, but none of it touched her smile.

"You promise?" He nodded. "I'd like that. A lot."

Floyd tilted the control stick, and they began to fall from the sky. Tabby lurched and grabbed at his hand. He took it and refused to let go.

"Floyd…in case we die…"

2:27.

"In case we die…I want you to know that…that I'm really glad I met you."

The edges of the mountain pass up to the Temple became clear through the windshield. It all looked so tiny from up here.

"I never thought I'd be stuck in a universe alternate from my own. But…but I'm glad it was this one." He smiled at her, and she began to cry. "I'm glad I met you too."

2:05.

2:04.

A figure emerged from the temple's entrance, stomping out onto the grounds. Even from up here, Floyd recognized it. And if the legends weren't true, if Regigigas didn't live up to them, it was over.

"Are you ready?"

"No. I…I'm scared. After Corinth, I…I'm not ready to die."

"If you do, you won't be alone." Her hand tightened around his, and he let go of the control stick as he set its target. "Just look at me."

He pressed the eject button, and the both of them went flying into the cold mountain air. He held on just as he promised himself he would, and Tabby's flailing legs wrapped around his waist, her arms wrapping around his neck as they plummeted towards the ground. The car flew off in the distance, and Floyd resisted the urge to watch it go.

He looked Tabby straight in the eye, his mask still unfolded behind his head. If the bomb did go off and Regigigas managed to throw it far enough, there was a chance he might survive with grievous wounds if he had it on.

He didn't care.

He saw the fear in Tabby's eyes. He wanted the last thing she saw to be another human face.

"Thank you," she mouthed over the roar of the wind.

She closed her eyes and hugged him, and Floyd waited for the end.

###

The bomb plummeted towards Regigigas, whose massive arms were already glowing with the might of its awesome latent power. The gold bands at the end of its arms and encircling its shoulders shone like molten rock in the night, even more so as it caught the car and its payload out of midair.

It was such a tiny thing. Regigigas was confused as to why the humans were scared of it.

But the humans who had built the temple it resided in had pleaded him to help both people and Pokemon, and if the Lightborn and his friends were asking, that was all the excuse it ever needed.

Regigigas bellowed its name and lobbed the car with all of its strength into the northern sky.

###

Having recently been rocked by the aftermath of the duel between the corrupted tyrant of Snowpoint and the Lightborn of another universe, all of the northern region was still on edge.

That aftermath was a drop in the ocean compared to the devastation unleashed by Olivier's bomb.

The light from the blast could be seen from space, easily.

The shockwaves followed.

Regigigas had thrown the bomb deep into the sky, and easily over the horizon, and the forests surrounding Snowpoint Temple still felt the residual shockwaves that followed. The trees closest to the north were immediately bowled over, while the rest of the forest shivered and bent to the might of the blast. Snowpoint Temple itself shook on its foundations, and every Pokemon in the forest took cover and held their young close as the world truly did come close to seemingly shaking apart. The very air was charged with energy unparalleled by any Legendary Pokemon besides maybe Arceus itself, the natural forces at work threatening to tear apart the land and cast it into the raging sea to be forgotten forever. The people of Snowpoint City felt the bomb go off in their bones, in their souls. Zero crouched to cover some of the children as Griffin got the others, holding them close as the vibrations continued.

Nerevor and Vanessa clung to each other as did the rest of the army, waiting for the terrible heat to envelop them all. No ward would save them from this.

Every citizen of Snowpoint waited for death to rush in and claim them. They cursed Olivier's name and waited.

And waited.

It never came.

###

Clarence Floyd and Tabitha of Snowpoint awoke hugging each other.

They…

They woke up?

_They woke up!_

The two of them came to the realization at the same time that somehow…

They were still alive.

Tabby slammed into Floyd with a real hug this time, squeezing him so hard, he thought the bones he really had left would pop out.

And he couldn't care less.

Three Pokemon exploded from their Pokeballs, and the shouting began.

" **HELL YEAH!"** Ren shouted, her voice echoing over the forest. **"WE DID IT! ARE YOU HYPED BLITZ?"**

"INFERNAPE!"

"ONYX?"

"SNEA!"

The cheering continued, and Tabby began to laugh. It was a slow chuckle that soon erupted into full blown celebratory laughter. She sagged against Floyd, and as one they sank to their knees in the snow. She'd never been so happy to feel something so cold against her knees, so cold and so real.

She pressed herself tighter into the hug, and Floyd brought his chin down to rest on her head.

"We did it," Floyd said quietly. "We did it."

Tabby took a deep breath…and asked the question that was burning her up from the inside.

"HOW?"

Floyd roared with laughter as their Pokemon stopped their victory lap and slammed in for a true group hug.

###

The entire city cheered as one singular entity. Pokemon roared and stomped their feet, while the men and women of the army, the civilians and their children, _everyone_ began to take up a call.

" _ **VICTORY! VICTORY! VICTORY!"**_

###

"Nerevor," Vanessa said, and somehow he heard her loud and clear over the symphony of cheers from the army behind them.

"Yes?"

"Corinth believed in what he chose to see. This? _This_ is what _we_ were hoping for."

His beard twitched as his face broke into a smile.

For the first time in quite a long time, Nerevor felt content doing nothing but standing and listening to a city cheering of victory.

"Marissa…Julian…all of you who I failed…I'm sorry you didn't get to see this." He looked up to the sun, grateful for the fact he could still feel the heat of it on his face. "But it is over."

"We won."

The cheers of victory didn't stop after ten minutes. They continued on, reviving itself well into the afternoon and into the night.

It was music to Nerevor's ears.

###

The battle was over.

The city was torn apart. Infrastructure had been damaged from the vibrations Olivier had let off when she'd lost control of her power. There were quite a few melted cars, damaged and outright destroyed streets, car wrecks, overall destruction, panic…

General discord.

There were deaths.

That was a part in any war, no matter how small or how big. The people of all quarters lost someone in the day's fighting. Whether it was a family member who had been slain on the front lines, a friend or colleague who had been silenced by Olivier in the hours leading up to the fighting, or the many, many men, women, and Pokemon who had been killed in the years leading up to today.

That night was a night for them.

They had saved up and prepared for months of civil war. There was food stocked beyond imagination, though it was mostly non-perishables. The people of Sanctuary and the Northern Quarter had most certainly not gone hungry, had not even come close.

But the fighting had damaged _a lot_ of public property. Some people would be without access to their homes, to their money or food in their refrigerators for a time until the city could get back on its feet again and begin to rebuild.

And it was there that Tabby had proposed the idea to begin the healing process right then and there.

Snowpoint City; all of its inhabitants, no matter their background or magical disposition, were invited to a grand celebration of a new age of peace between two very different communities. The bulk of the celebration took place before the ruined Hub, where it was initiated with the building's destruction, signaling the end of forced censorship and a metaphorical reconnection with the outside world.

That would take time of course, but thanks to an effort from everyone, they had all the time in the world.

There was about four months of stockpiled food in total supplies. The most affected quarters had been the North, obviously, and Central, as well as parts of the West and Eastern Quarters. Anyone from the Southern Quarter was asked to wait and let those who would have a harder time accessing a hot meal for the night to go first.

And to Nerevor's surprise, they obliged. Even the most bigoted of them all begrudgingly let wounded magi and those they'd allowed Olivier to propagandize them into hating be first to the hot food.

It was a start.

"Are you sure about this?" Vanessa asked, waiting from afar as the lines began to file through the tables of volunteers doling out food. "We should be rebuilding…or contacting the Pokemon League, or…something."

Nerevor shook his head. "Something greater than all of us is being born here, right here at this very moment. Snowpoint has been at war with itself for longer than some of the people in this city have been alive. Today was the straw that broke the Numel's back, and still, we have prevailed." He swept his staff before him. "Listen, Vanessa. Listen to that. Did you ever think you would hear that sound?"

Bells.

Singing.

The children and adults who did not eat danced in the streets. There was laughter, wonderful laughter and toasts and celebrating. Some people played music, and those rigorously devoted to upholding tradition of the Snowpoint that had come millennia before caught wind of the music and began to sing in the old, dated language. The newer generation that mostly consisted of the Southern Quarter did not lash out. They did not form crowds and boo.

They listened.

Some joined in.

"It wasn't just a way of thinking," Nerevor realized aloud. "For as long as she was in power, Olivier amplified the hatred between us with that wretched Ghost Plate of hers, making us all see the worst of each other. We saw the things that she wanted us to see, and not what we should have seen all along. We are all one blood, and all stem from the same ancestor."

"People." Griffin and Zero threw up their hands as they entertained a large crowd of onlookers. The usually taciturn head guard was downright jovial. Behind them, a group of people were celebrating for a different reason. The couple from before, the man and his fiancee, seemed to not want to wait any longer. The two men kissed, and ran off to the approval of a cheering crowd to find a priest.

"Pokemon." Onyx had brought her pack to dine on the scraps, and was surprised when one of the helpers gave her and her pack two whole plates to share from. Stray Lillipup and Rockruff danced throughout the crowd, mingling with the domesticated Pokemon, yelping and playing and begging for treats and pets. A Magmortar and his fire-breathing master entertained a group of Southern Quarter children, who clapped and oohed and ahhed at the sights before them.

"We are one in the same."

Vanessa thought on that as an entire street seemed to sing in tandem to the same ancient melody. "After this long…you really think we can turn all this around? Forget all about it?"

"We cannot forget," Nerevor said. "To forget would be to make the same mistakes that got us here in the first place. We must remember…and battle on."

Vanessa smiled sadly, her hand brushing her ring finger. "He'd be happy. Vance, I mean. He…he would have loved this. I know Marissa and Julian would as well…everyone that we've lost." Nerevor nodded, waiting.

"And Corinth," she finished. "I think…I think if there would have been another way to make him see reason…he would have liked this too."

"I agree."

They stood together in silence for a long while, listening to the wonderful sounds of a community slowly learning to grow back together again.

###

The Black Sun stood atop a roof and looked down at the mass gathering of light and sound, of rejoice and happiness.

There was something so genuine about watching the results of their victory that he couldn't help but smile. Snowpoint was in for a rough time. The rebuilding physically would be easy enough, especially with Nerevor and Vanessa ending the sentiment towards magic.

The emotional part would be harder.

But for now…this would do.

"Oh brother," Ren said, stepping to his side and looking down at the lights. "Don't tell me you're getting soft on me, Boss."

She shared a grin with him as he turned to look at her. "Afraid so, girl. I just…" He shook his head. "I'm glad we're still here. I'm glad _you're_ still here."

"Me too," Ren admitted, shrugging. "Can't say I'm not salty about the car though."

"When we get back home, you can do all the autoshop you want," Floyd said. "That's a promise."

"Already makin' promises, eh? We haven't even packed to leave yet." Ren tsked and nodded over her shoulder. "Why don't you work on keeping some other promises first, hm?"

Floyd followed her gaze.

Tabby walked towards him on her own power, still a little shaky, but moving. Blitz loped in besides her, a bandage around his forehead.

"I think," Tabby began, extending a hand, "that I was promised a dance."

"That must have been the hypoxia talking."

"Ah ah ah!" Tabby exclaimed. "I remember every good thing that's ever happened to me, thank you very much. And I'd never forget a handsome man asking me to dance with him."

Floyd pretended not to see it, but he watched Ren wink at Tabby from his left. "Alright," he said with a smile. "Just don't step on my toes."

"I'll do my best," she teased, poking her tongue out at him.

She stepped into his arms and they began to sway slowly against the beat of the celebratory music below, the street musicians and the light of the moon making every sad but hopeful step better than the last.


	31. Chapter 29: Hope in the Air

**Chapter 29: Hope in the Air**

The Sinnohian Government arrived the morning after the celebration. An entire army rolled right up to Snowpoint City's southern gate, backed up by the full might of the Elite Four and Champion Cynthia herself.

The veteran Champion, who had been called in to weigh in on various crises around the region had seen nightmarish things in general before all of this, actually broke down and cried when she saw the extent of the destruction Olivier had wrought. There weren't as many dead as in a long war of say, a year, but it was still a shameful waste of life, and Cynthia, in a way, was to blame for it.

Nerevor would have none of it. He refused to allow her to take the blame, and stood as a representative for the magical community in pledging their undying allegiance to Snowpoint City and, by extension, Sinnoh itself.

Cynthia was happy to accept both his offer of allegiance and his offer to get to work on rebuilding their city.

The army was sent away, and construction crews of Pokemon and man alike were called in to assist on rebuilding Snowpoint City even better than before.

###

Nerevor took a break from the day's work and visited the cemetery nearest Sanctuary with Vanessa and Tabby later that week.

They placed bunches of iceflowers upon the graves of Marissa, Julian, and Vance, said a prayer to Arceus for their souls, and left them behind to do their legacies a favor.

He was sad that they would not be alive to see him rebuild, but by Arceus, he would make sure that it never happened again.

 _That_ promise, he would take to the grave.

He lingered for a few more minutes and then summoned one more bunch of iceflowers to his hands.

He left them on Corinth's grave.

###

"Nessa, you need to hurry up," Griffin's voice came through the bathroom door. "You're due in ten minutes."

"I know, Griffin," Vanessa called back, touching up her outfit.

They were three weeks into city-wide repairs. General infrastructure was in pretty good shape, and the roughest of it had been due for touch ups anyway. Traffic was awful in some parts of the city, but it was starting to feel less like a lockdown and more of a city with every day. Traffic flow into and out of the Northern Quarter had increased by 400% in the past three weeks, while they were actually beginning to turn a profit in imports and exports from outside trading deals now that their borders were officially reopened.

As the newly-appointed Governor of Snowpoint, she had to be on top of these things.

The election had been held barely two weeks after Olivier had been overthrown, and the last of the undead corpses burned away to be forgotten as ashes. She'd been surprised to see her own name on the ballot, and even more surprised when she saw that the only other candidate was a certain Gym Leader who hailed from the Southern Quarter…well, South Snowpoint, now. Quarters had no place in the new city.

Needless to say, she'd won by a landslide. She figured the south would accuse the voting of being rigged, but Zero literally just hyped up her own abilities when it was his turn to convince the public. They'd go off his word and proceed from there.

"I can't," she'd protested, face blanched as she saw the results filing in. "Nerevor, why can't you—"

"My time has come and gone, my dear," Nerevor said warmly. "You are more in touch with this generation than I will ever be, and you have the wisdom and patience to match. You will do fine, better than I ever would."

She had big shoes to fill, damn that man.

Her first press conference with the outside world was today, and she had to look the part.

Her Head of Security was always hovering around her to make sure she was not anymore than a second late to any of her appointments.

This was her first "appointment" and despite Griffin getting on her last nerve for the past three hours, she'd never felt safer.

She stepped from the bathroom, makeup applied (even though the assistants at the rebuilt press office would redo it anyways) and long coat buttoned for the harsh cold. "Okay. I'm ready."

"Right this way, Governor," Griffin said, lips twitching as he forced back a smile.

The Governor of Snowpoint flipped off her Head of Security, and he laughed as he followed her out of Sanctuary.

###

One month after Olivier had been defeated, the Governor granted Zero his official Gym Leader title and gave him permission to reopen the gym to new challengers.

Man, that was gonna be hard.

It hadn't been used in ages, and was covered in graffiti and litter and debris from vandals and squatters.

"Well boys," Zero said to his Pokemon and his Gym Trainers who understandably looked a little daunted at the utter mess in front of them. "We've got work to do. Everybody got a bucket? Yes? Good. Some of y'all get to sweeping, the rest get to scrubbing. Brrreak!"

It was going to be hard work, but for some reason, Zero couldn't wait to dive right in.

###

A month after Olivier had been defeated, the word went out nationwide. After extensive talks with the Governor of Snowpoint, the Arch Mage representative of Sanctuary, and the Sinnohian Government, Snowpoint City was no longer to be the nexus of magical power. Schools of magic were allowed (and encouraged) to open around the nation, and no longer would anymore families be allowed to or be forced to break apart when a child was naturally inclined to magic.

When Nerevor had read the news online, he'd spent five minutes in his quarters crying happily over the news.

The days were finally changing.

###

He'd overthrown a tyrant and restored democracy and peace to an entire city.

He'd disposed of a bomb powerful enough to level said city.

He'd fought against a literal shard of his possible ancestor and managed to blast it to hell.

He'd broken into a temple and conversed with a fifty-foot tall titan of a Legendary Pokemon, and seen more Pokemon in general than he'd ever seen in his life.

Yeah, it was about time to get moving.

"You ready, Boss?" Ren asked, circling him excitedly. "Come on, come on, you're ready, right? We can leave now? Please, can we leave now?"

Floyd laughed and scratched Ren behind the ears. "Yes. Let's go."

He opened the door and Ren bolted out like she'd seen a deer in the Sanctuary hallway, clearly recovered from her wounds she'd taken in the fighting a month ago. They'd both been more hurt than they'd realized, and the month had been spent resting, recovering, and rebuilding.

For the most part, it was resting.

He'd had no more strange dreams. Belatedly, he wondered if it had anything to do with how much power he'd poured into defeating Olivier. He still was recovering from that, wasn't nearly as strong as he'd been the day before. But he figured at the very least his friends on Earth would contact him again, especially with how much time he'd spent sleeping.

_Stay where you are._

He couldn't. He didn't even know if they knew where he truly was.

Floyd would find them or die trying. No. He had to quit saying that.

He'd made someone a promise, after all.

Floyd smiled and walked down the Sanctuary steps for what was probably the last time for a long time.

The Sanctuary Pokemon Center was as empty as it had been in a month, and that was the best thing in the world. At worst, Nurse Joy and her regular Pokemon helpers dealt with residual aches and pains from the wounded men who had fought that day against Olivier's army of Cleansers. At best, she healed the tired Pokemon of young children who had been knocked out in a Tackle fight. Either way, the bubbly Nurse looked as happy as could be, but was saddened to see Floyd go.

"We owe you a lot around here," Nurse Joy said. "If you're ever in need of medical supplies, don't hesitate to call this Pokemon Center. I can get a prescription written up before you'll have time to really start hurting."

"Thank you," Floyd said. "We'll be sure to take you up on that, but best case scenario, we won't need to."

Nurse Joy nodded…then got on her toes and kissed his cheek.

Ren laughed obnoxiously as Floyd blushed. "Stop in any time, alright?"

They left Nurse Joy to man the counter as they walked out into one of Snowpoint's trademark chilly afternoons. "I hate you," Floyd added as his boots crunched into the snow. "I hope you know that."

"Aww, I love you too, Boss," Ren replied, throwing him a sunny smile that he couldn't help but return.

They waited at the bus stop for a few minutes. He could have flown to the southern gate, of course, but he was tired of flying and spying and fighting for a while. He wanted to do things as normal as he could for as long as he could.

That wouldn't be for very long once he left, but he'd take what he could get.

The bus picked them up and whisked them south, and everywhere he and Ren looked, they saw the progress of a city still on track to become better than it was. All of Olivier's oppressive checkpoints had been ripped out of the ground and used as scrap metal. There were many, _many_ more children running around with sparks flying from every orifice than there had been two months ago. There had been a revelation that a lot of Southern Quarter families had secretly borne magically-inclined children, but now that Olivier was gone, there was no reason to hide it anymore. The more stubborn of the past Southern Quarter were still clinging to their ideals—and aggressively, he'd broken up a few fights over the last month—but that was to be expected.

It wasn't perfect, but it was damned close.

Thinking about Snowpoint, and the future in general…it made him a little sad for what was to come.

The bus let them off at their stop half an hour later, and Floyd stepped out to face the southern gate for the first time in almost two months.

Beyond…that was the real mystery.

He headed inside the guardhouse, where the people he owed so much to awaited him.

Zero had started wearing more clothes so that the children of Snowpoint who now began looking up to their new Gym Leader wouldn't copy his fashion and end up with pneumonia from running around with a shirt and shorts on, but he looked relatively the same. Maybe even happier than he usually was.

Vanessa uncrossed her arms and put down a cup of coffee, and wherever she went, Griffin went as well. The both of them had definitely aged in the past month, but they would be alright. They were strong.

Nerevor stood with his staff in one hand, Kazam's odd mustache twitching with psychic force as he looked at the both of them.

And Tabby…Tabby was there too.

For a moment, no one said anything.

"Weeeeeeell, I guess I'll be the one to ask," Zero said finally. "Floyd, howsabout you just go ahead and stay here in Snowpoint and solve all of our problems for us when they pop up? Your Sneasel can stay close to her pack, you guys get a lovely little winter cabin free of charge, and all of the bad guys stay a million miles away because you're here."

Ren laughed at that, and Onyx popped out of her Pokeball at the mention of her pack, hopping up on Floyd's shoulders. "Sorry," Floyd said, "but if I stay here any longer, Ren will claw me when I sleep."

"Damn right," Ren remarked, examining said claws. "Sorry pretty boy, you'll have to find your own superhero to boss around."

"Ah, it was worth a shot," Zero said, stepping forward. "Well, thanks for all the help then. And next time you're in town, feel free to visit the Gym. Can't believe we did all this and never had a real Pokemon battle." He grinned down at Ren. "It'll be good to knock you down a peg, Ren."

Ren blew him a good-natured raspberry and Floyd nodded. "Count on it." They shook hands hardily and Vanessa stepped forward. "Governor."

Vanessa scoffed. "I know you have to call me that in public, but if you do that in private, I'll be forced to arrest you."

"Already on the new Governor's bad side," Ren teased. "My, my, Boss, you really are a bad boy."

Vanessa shook her head and didn't bother to hide her smile. "It goes without saying, but if you ever need anything, anything at all, you need only call my office. Hell, my direct line. And if there really isn't a way home for you…I will always have a house waiting right here for you should you want to return. We owe you that much, at the very least."

"Just so long as Ren doesn't go breaking any rules while you're away," Griffin said.

"Why, Griffin," Ren said. "I believe you just made a joke!"

"I make jokes all the time," Griffin grunted. "Onyx, you keep an eye on her, alright?"

"Snea!"

"And Floyd, you keep an eye on both of them," Griffin said. "And while you're at it, find your way home and don't you dare die out there."

"Yes sir," Floyd said. Vanessa caught him in a warm hug, and he and Griffin shook hands.

Nerevor stepped forward this time. "I don't suppose you'd consider an offer from the Arch Mage of Sanctuary? There is always a room in Sanctuary, should you want your old one, and we would love to learn more in the ways of incorporating combat into some of more aggressive types of magic."

Floyd opened his mouth to speak, but Ren cut him off. "C'mon, old man. I figured you of all people would be the last person to try and keep us around. I mean, we made this place hell for a month and a half. You should be trying to ship us out of here."

She was joking of course, but Nerevor still shook his head. "You've helped us more than you could possibly imagine, and neither words or gifts cannot express how indebted we are to you. Though, I hope that your packs will be of some slight concession?"

The backpack Floyd wore and the fitted bandolier Ren was strapped into were near limitless in their storage capacity, and contained a multitude of rations, water, money, and other supplies to aid them in their journey south. There was even a tent in Floyd's pack, which Nerevor had promised in the note left with the bags that they would be "more than spacious".

"Absolutely," Floyd said, adjusting the strap. "All of you…thank you. You didn't have to do all this."

"But we gladly will keep all of the gifts," Ren added quickly.

The entire room laughed. "It is of no trouble, believe me," Nerevor said. "As for your destination…I would recommend that you travel south until you find your way to Sandgem Town, my friend. Had the Champion not been busy with internal affairs here, I would have gladly referred you to her, but your best bet is likely with Professor Lucas who resides there. I haven't the slightest idea of what could have thrown you through universes, but if there is someone who would, it is him. I've included a little bit of an…incentive in your bag, should he prove to be stubborn in helping you. If there's anything else that you should ever need, as Vanessa said, you need only ask."

Nerevor gave him a stooping bow, and Floyd took a deep breath for his last goodbye.

"So," Tabitha of Snowpoint said, her arms crossed before her. Blitz looked back and forth between them, then mimicked his trainer. "You're outta here."

Floyd smiled. "Yeah."

"You're not gonna stay?"

"No. It's time to be moving on." Tabby nodded, like that answer pleased her. "And you?"

Her nostrils flared a little, and she brushed some brown hair behind her ear nervously. "Well…during my brief little stay in limbo, Mesprit said something about…something about my dad. Nerevor and I were talking about it last night."

"You never said anything about him when you told me their story," Floyd said.

"That would be because I really don't know what happened to him. One day he disappeared, but we never found a body. We all just thought…" She stopped and shook her head. "Regardless, Mesprit said that she'd give me the answers I didn't know I was looking for about Dad's fate. And…and I can't ignore that. It said I would know where to go when the time's right, and when I was looking over some leads over the past few weeks, I just…I think Mesprit was right. I know where I'm going." She paused. "Probably."

"What about Snowpoint? And everyone else here?"

Tabby shook her head again and smiled. "They'll be okay without me. And unlike Zero, I'm in my twenties with no Gym position holding me down! I need a vacation…desperately." There was a rumbling chuckle behind Floyd and Tabby joined them before her face molded into something more serious. She seemed so…sure of herself. The old Tabby was talking to him right now, the fun-loving, talkative, adventurous woman he'd met two months ago, but…a new Tabby was there too, waiting for when she'd be needed again. "I'll be fine."

"Okay," Floyd said. His sadness redoubled, though he kept it from his face. "I'm sure you will be. If we ever bump into each other again and you need help, just say the word, alright?"

The room went dead silent.

Tabby's face screwed up in anger. No, wait. Confusion.

What?

For a second, Floyd wondered if he'd said something offensive. Ren was muttering "Holy shit, holy shit," beside him, and both Onyx and Blitz had facepalmed.

"Clarence Floyd," Tabby began, "you are single-handedly the stupidest, sweetest, bravest, dumbest, strongest _idiot_ I know."

"What?"

"Do…do you not see the signs laid out right in front of your face? Me going _'Oh they'll be fine',_ and leaving the exact same time on the _exact_ same day as you to leave for my destination, which by the way, is also dead south of here?"

Floyd shook his head, and Tabby crossed the distance between them, poking his armor with every word.

"I. Am. Coming. With. You."

Floyd's mouth hung open for a minute as his brain reeled to catch up. He never thought…he didn't…this wasn't…

"Boss, do us all a favor and just say okay," Ren drawled. "Much as I _loathe_ to say it, your little girlfriend will definitely make things easier in the 'not-dying' territory of things. And watching Blitz put things he finds on the road in his nose will always be a fun little show."

Tabby nodded a little towards Ren, a grin spreading from ear-to-ear on her face.

Floyd sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You realize that it's not going to be easy. And I don't get tired as easily as most humans will. There's going to be walking and rainy nights and cold nights and hot nights. Things will probably attack us. We will more than likely brush with death even _closer_ than we did a month ago, if that's even possible. Why would you want to come with me?"

Tabby tsked and turned around, bumping his chest with the back of her fist. "Because I still have a promise to keep. And I'll make you another one, Clarence Floyd. You are _not_ getting rid of me that easily."

With that, the argument was over, and he knew it. "Then I guess I have a…a…" He fumbled for the words.

"A warband," Ren suggested.

"Companions," Nerevor said.

"Lackeys!" Zero said from the back.

"Infernape!"

"Sneasel!"

"Friends," Tabby finished, grabbing his hand. "Come on, friend! We've got ground to cover!"

Tabby pulled him to the exit, and they walked through the southern gate and out onto Route 217, yelling goodbyes and waving behind them.

Floyd wasn't sure about this at all…was he?

Was this a good idea?

Ren and Blitz had started up a conversation in the strange native language of all Pokemon, and even though she would deny it, Floyd could tell she was happy about him coming along. Onyx rode Ren like one would ride a horse, and from time to time, she would chime into the conversation as well.

And Tabby?

Tabby walked forward with all the confidence in the world, a smile on her face as wide and as genuine as Floyd had ever seen. "Make sure you keep up, okay? There are a lot of areas on 217 where the snow can get super deep. We can burn you out of it but you'll be really cold—"

Yes, he realized. It _was_ a good idea.

And maybe…

Maybe things could be different. Maybe the past didn't need to repeat itself.

Maybe it was time for him to start thinking about the future he _really wanted._

And maybe, just maybe, he would find something else worth fighting for.

Floyd followed Tabby deeper into Route 217, the sun shining down on them as he found himself eager for the future.


	32. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Ah."

The Psionic awoke from his slumber, the vast array of Psychic power dizzying him as it always did for a moment.

In mere moments, his Psychic powers caught him up to speed on the last month he had missed.

That novice Olivier had gotten herself, the test Cleansers, and a majority of potentially powerful allies killed. Now Snowpoint was entering an era of "peace", and any attempts at infiltrating the local government had been foiled.

But it wasn't all bad. The peace would mean that for a time, Nerevor and his lackeys would be focused on rebuilding and not asking themselves the big questions, such as…

Why?

But it didn't change the fact that Olivier had failed, and worse had made three new very powerful enemies who didn't even know it yet.

Tabitha. Olivier had feared her a little, and from a quick look in the shadow she cast on the past, her abilities with heat and fire could prove more than a problem down the line.

Ren, the Absol. Pokemon not of Legendary status could not possibly be considered dangerous…but she was no regular Pokemon. What she was was an anomaly. A problem.

And then of course, there was the Black Sun.

Floyd.

He knew what had to be done.

"You five can hear me?"

The pulses of Psychic energy were sent out to five trusted assassins and warriors.

The Church of Purification always had resources from which to draw, and this was no exception.

"Yes, Master," the chorus of minds called out to him.

"The man, the woman, the Absol, and anyone found with them," the Psionic started. "Find them. Kill them all."

"It will be done."

He removed his presence from their minds and settled down into a meditative state.

"Run while you can, little heroes," the Psionic murmured.

He would watch.

And wait.

**THE END**

**A/N: And that's the end of that. What a journey it's been to write this fanfic! I can't express the feelings in words. What I _can_ express in words is that this most definitely isn't the end of our heroes. I may take a wee bit of a hiatus to break from writing oh-so much, but expect at the very least a Chapter 1 of Book 2 by August's end. Thank you so much to all of the new and old readers who stuck around with the story from the beginning or joined in midway through and caught back up on the content! Keep an eye on my deviantArt (it's been a little dry), and watch for the crosspost over on ff.net...and I'll see you all next update in PURIFIED: BOOK TWO!**


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